Million Little Pieces
by keir
Summary: HaruxKyou/YukixKyou ...Kyou and Haru spar in the woods, and Black Haru takes things too far. How will their relationship be affected? And what does Yuki have to do with it? swearing, violence, sexing, etc. Chapter 13 Uploaded!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations

The Gist of Things: Kyou and Haru spar in the woods, but somehow things get out of hand when Black Haru manifests. Will he take it too far?

A/N: This will be a oneshot. At least, as far as I know. :P

* * *

The cat hissed as he bit the ox, drawing blood along the thin arm between his jaws.

Black Haru snarled as he slammed his fist into Kyou's ribs. The older boy let go and rolled away, lithely gaining his feet to face his younger cousin. "You won't beat me this time, you little bitch!" the ox spat.

"Try me, bastard!" The cat's hair bristled in challenge.

The ox flew forward in a flurry of punches; the cat ducked them and aimed a hard blow into his opponent's stomach. Hatsuharu fell to the ground as the breath flew out of him; he swiftly grasped the foot flying toward his face and twisted, sending Kyou to the ground beside him.

The cat's head cracked against a rock; he tasted blood in his mouth. Hatsuharu crawled over his prone cousin, sneering at the blood trickling over his lip. Kyou, dizzied from the blow, tried to crawl away; the ox placed a well-aimed punch to his leg. Kyou cried out in pain as his entire leg went numb. Black Haru grabbed the older boy's hair, pulling his head back and exposing his neck. "Fuck you, kitten. How does it feel to be beaten by the stupid ox? How does it feel, bitch?" He clawed at the cat's clothes, ripping the seam at the seat of his pants. "No underwear? You _are_ a filthy slut!"

Kyou's vision began to settle, but his head still swam. He dug his nails into the dirt as he tried to pull himself out from under the ox's weight. Then he felt one of the most painful feelings he'd ever known.

Black Haru was forcing his penis deep inside Kyou. The cat howled, his nails violently scratching lines into his cousin's arms. The ox wrapped arms like steel around the body beneath him. "I'm going to please you, Kyou. You're going to be mine and only mine!"

Kyou groaned pitifully, his head reeling in anguish. He and Hatsuharu had always fought, but nothing like this had ever happened between them before. He found himself more shocked at having lost to his younger cousin than at being in such a disheveled state. "What are you doing, Haru?"

"I'm marking you," Black Haru growled, biting viciously into Kyou's shoulder. "Stop looking at Yuki; you're mine."

"I-I never looked at him."

"Don't lie, kitten." The ox thrust forward, but instead of pain, the cat felt pleasure shoot through his body, stars dancing in front of his closed eyelids. "I see you look at him when you should be thinking about _me. I_ love you, not him!"

"H-Haru...Ahhh!" Black Haru had begun thrusting. The cat panicked, having never felt such pain and pleasure mixed together before. His backside was burning, but the flames of passion raced through his body as well. He felt ready to burst into a million little pieces, his body was so full.

Full of Hatsuharu.

Kyou began squirming, trying to wiggle away. "You only make me want you more when you move like that," the ox growled. His long fingers gripped Kyou's feverish hips. The cat couldn't contain his heated yowls as Hatsuharu pumped hard against his prostate.

Hatsuharu screamed along with his lover. He thrust hard into the cat, ejaculating deep inside him. Before Kyou had time to register the sticky sensation on his thighs, his cousin flipped him over, ripping away the last shreds of his torn pants. The ox gripped the cat's erection, enjoying the sight of Kyou panting and straining below him. "Say you love me. Say it!" he demanded.

"I-I can't..." Kyou stammered.

"Don't think about Yuki." Black Haru grasped Kyou's chin, tilting his face upward. His steely grey eyes bore into Kyou's glazed red ones. "Think about me. Say it!"

"I-I lo..." Kyou bucked as Haru rubbed the head of his cock, his semen splashing up and arcing back down onto his stomach. "L-love you..." the cat sighed as Haru hovered over him with a smirk.

"Mine," the ox whispered. And Kyou was scared to realize that he agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations

The Gist of Things: Haru has taken things too far with Kyou; he wants to talk with his cousin, but the other avoids him. What does Haru want, and where does Yuki fit in to the picture?

A/N: This will not be a oneshot now. . I'm a liar. I thought about continuing it, but X-Factor-Glory's review made me want to write more. :D So this story is now dedicated to her. I also have no clue how I want this to turn out. HaruxKyou? YukixKyou? Haru and Yuki both do Kyou? XD No clue. It'll be fun.

* * *

Kyou felt sluggish, his eyes drooping as he wandered into the kitchen; it was drizzling outside as it had been all morning. The rain always had a way of making him feel horrible whether it was aching joints or inattentive daydreaming.

He sneezed and -POOF!- an orange cat crawled out from plaid pajama bottoms, his fur bristling in irritation. Kyou leaped up onto the counter, then on top of the fridge. The Cat part of himself purred as the heat vent warmed his fur; he curled up next to it.

Kyou didn't feel well in spirit, either. Ever since...since Hatsuharu had done _that_ to him. He had tried everything to avoid his younger cousin; he'd even ducked into the girl's bathroom to avoid the ox and Uotani had laid into him for that. At least the detention he'd received was enough to avoid his lingering cousin after school for two weeks. His orange tail lashed back and forth. For that matter, why did the ox want to confront him about it? That stupid pervert, chasing him all over school, trying to corner him at home. What, did he want to rub his victory in Kyou's face? The orange tail flicked violently.

The back door flew open with a brisk breeze from outside and his whiskers twitched. "We're home!" Tohru called cheerfully, bustling inside out of the cold and wet, Yuki following close behind. Kyou leaped gracefully to the kitchen floor, then up onto the table as Tohru laid down grocery bags. "I bought extra food for dinner tonight," she said, her cheeks rosy as she hummed and scuttled about the room.

The cat went to peer into a bag when a hand suddenly shoved him off the table. He quickly twisted and landed on all four feet. "What was that for!" he yelled at Yuki.

"You're disgusting, getting on the table in animal form," the mouse replied. "Who knows where your paws have been?"

Kyou sneered but stayed quiet, watching Tohru bustle about the kitchen. "Now where did I put the rice...?"

"I believe I have it in my bag, Tohru," said a low voice.

The cat jumped, the hair along his back standing straight up. "You!"

A dripping Hatsuharu stood in the doorway, removing his raincoat and galoshes. "Forgive me; I was looking for Kyou on the roof, but I see that he's here."

"Oh, thank you, Hatsuharu!" Tohru smiled, continuing her dinner preparations.

"What are you doing here?" spat Kyou.

"I came for dinner at Tohru's invitation." The ox's face was passive, his eyes staying on Kyou.

Yuki interrupted before the cat could yell something else. "Ugh, Kyou, you could at least pick up after yourself." He held out the pajama bottoms in distaste.

The cat opened his mouth to retort, but -POOF!- He blushed scarlet, grabbing for the pants from the person he had secretly thought about; Hatsuharu's eyes narrowed, knowing what Kyou was thinking. Yuki blinked, his glance shifting between the two before the orange-haired boy bolted. "I think I'm going to go make sure Kyou is okay," murmured the ox. Yuki and he shared a brief look before the younger boy sauntered upstairs. The rat had an uneasy feeling about that look, but he stayed to downstairs to help Tohru unpack the rest of the groceries.

But he resolved to himself that when he was finished helping he would go upstairs and check on Kyou himself.

Meanwhile, Hatsuharu stood outside Kyou's door. He licked his lips then let himself in to find his older cousin curled up on his bed, his breathing deep. The ox thought he might be asleep when those burnished copper eyes slitted open. "Get out," the cat hissed.

"I just wanted to talk," the black and white-haired boy replied, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"I know what you want, you asshole." The cat stood, swaying almost drunkenly. "Get out."

Hatsuharu shrugged and walked toward Kyou. The cat snarled and took a swing at him, but he easily grabbed the offending arm. He shoved Kyou against the wall, the other's wrist still in his grasp. The orange-haired boy's cheeks were flushed pink and his breathing shallow. "Kyou-chan, you have a fever," he murmured, staring at those rosy lips.

"Get out or I'll yell," Kyou snarled, staring up at his taller cousin. _When did Haru get so tall? Damn growth spurts,_ he thought.

Hatsuharu smirked. "You wouldn't dare. You wouldn't want Yuki to find you like this." The cat looked away, a scowl on his face. The ox ran his fingertips over a cheek. "I want you, Kyou-chan."

"You mean you want to rape me again." Kyou's eyes blazed with anger. "Go ahead, fat cow; I'm weak and sick. You'll have no problem mauling me."

Hatsuharu sighed. "You make things difficult, kitten."

"Don't call me ki—!" The orange-haired boy was silenced by soft lips on his; he feebly pushed at Hatsuharu with his free hand. The younger boy's tongue was in his mouth and it was so hard to breathe when his chest felt so heavy, but it felt so good. _Why am I not biting him? Bite him, agh! What is wrong with me?_ Hatsuharu's free hand curled into his hair gently, his thumb stroking Kyou's cheekbone. The cat tried to break away, but he had nowhere to go to and his knees felt weak as he gasped against the kisses.

The door slammed open and Kyou cringed back, falling on his butt as his younger cousin released him. Yuki strode in, grabbing Hatsuharu by the jacket and hauling him out of Kyou's room and across the hall into his own. The rat slammed the door with a glare. "What do you think you're doing?"

"My, my...eavesdropping, Yuki? Who would have thought it of you?" the ox asked with a blank face.

"I'm running out of patience, Haru." Yuki shoved the younger boy's shoulder, pushing him against the desk.

"I'm just making the moves you refused to make. It's already been quite satisfying." He smirked, his Black side taking over.

A dangerous gleam was in Yuki's eyes. "You knew I..."

"Knew you wanted to fuck him?" Black Haru asked.

"Yes, but I..."

"You know it really does feel great."

"What does?"

"Fucking him." Black Haru groped the front of his leather pants and laughed.

Yuki looked as if he had been slapped. "You...you and he...?"

The ox smirked, leaning back against the desk, running a hand up his shirt. "Just once, though. I think he was a virgin."

The rat clenched his fists, his voice gone soft with anger. "You knew I wanted him first." The ox opened his mouth to reply when the door crashed inward.

Kyou was furious. He was beyond furious. Both of those _assholes_ had just wanted to...to... He bared his teeth and went in swinging. First he aimed for Yuki, the rational part of his brain telling him the grey-haired boy should be his first target, taking advantage of the surprise and making him less likely to block. His fist sloppily connected with the rat's mouth.

Hatsuharu had regained his White side and a bit of his composure, moving forward. "Kyou, I—" Kyou's fist met his mark where his punch had been a bit off with Yuki. His blow landed on the ox's eye. He pulled back, eyes full of anger and cheeks flushed red. Both boys stared at him, nursing their wounds. "You assholes stay away from me," he hissed. Then he was running, out of the house and into the rain.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations

The Gist of Things: Haru's feelings are already known to Kyou, but now Yuki is making his known as well. What's a poor kitty cat to do?

A/N: Still no clue where to go with this. XD Just sort of flopping around like a fish as I write. I did think about doing multiple endings (one HaruxKyou, one YukixKyou, and one threesome X3). I have no idea, yay! Leaning toward that or ending up making it HaruxKyou, because let's face it, that's just what I'm good at, haha!

_italics_ - thought

* * *

Hatori glanced over with a blank face. "Get out." Kyou scowled and opened the car door, sliding out. The jacket he had borrowed from Momiji was two sizes too small but he hadn't had one of his own. "Tell Hatsuharu to come outside."

"Tell him yourself!" the cat snarled, slamming the door and stomping into Shigure's house.

The dragon sighed, killing the engine. He stepped out of the car and walked into the house quickly; it had rained all night and the dawn was frigid. As soon as he set foot inside Shigure caroled, "Oh, Hatori-kun! What a surprise!"

The brunette sighed. "Good morning, Shigure. Where is Kyou?"

Shigure tilted his head as the sound of a drill buzzing came from upstairs. "He ran right upstairs. He was gone all night, you know, and now he shows up with you." The dog gave his friend a sly smile.

"He stayed with me."

Shigure's smirk deepened. "Oh, my, my. So open and brazen about it too."

The dragon glared. "He refused to leave; he didn't want to come home."

"Well I wonder why he would do such a thing." The dog glanced over at Hatsuharu and Yuki, then shrugged. The sound of hammering floated down from upstairs. "Ne, Hatori-kun, stay for breakfast!"

"Shigure, stop using Tohru as your maid." Despite the protest, the doctor shrugged out of his coat and sat down at the table, but he did give his cousin a reprimanding look.

"Oh, it's no problem, Hatori-san. I love too cook," Tohru said as she stirred something. "Thought usually Kyou-kun helps."

"Kyou helps you cook?" Hatsuharu blurted out.

"Oh, yes, Kyou-kun is like a cute little housewife in his apron," sing-songed Shigure. "Look what I got him for his last birthday!" He picked an apron off a hook and showed it off: it was pink with a cat on the front.

"What do you care if Kyou cooks or not?" Yuki asked coldly for Hatsuharu's ears alone.

The ox looked at him blankly. "It's nothing." Behind them Shigure had a speculative gaze.

The two stared at each other until Tohru announced cheerfully, "Breakfast is ready!"

* * *

There was a knock on the door. "Go away!" Kyou snarled, not bothering to move from where he was curled up on his bed.

"Kyou-kun?" Tohru called hesitantly through the door. "Are you all right?"

The orange-haired boy felt a pang of guilt and reluctantly rose to open the door. "I'm fine," he muttered. He noticed her looking at the new lock on his door. "I got tired of people bugging me."

"Oh." Tohru's face broke out in a sudden smile. "Since you didn't come down to breakfast, I thought I'd bring you lunch." She walked over and set a tray of food down on his desk.

The cat raised a brow as he caught sight of a bundle of flowers on the tray. "You picked flowers?"

"Oh, no! Haru-kun did. He helped me cook lunch too. He said you weren't feeling well last night and he wanted to do something nice for you."

Kyou felt his heart thump harder in his chest. Haru had done all that for him? "Is…is Haru still here?"

"Yes, he stayed this morning. Hatori was supposed to be here half an hour ago, but he was delayed. But he said he would pick up Haru in an hour."

Kyou thanked her as she left, locking the door and sitting down to his meal. He picked at the food for almost five minutes before finally giving in to his urges. He picked up the flowers, toying with them restlessly. They were sad flowers, half dead from the freezing spring drizzle of the past few days, petals missing here and there. He set them in his glass of water and stood, placing them on the nightstand next to his bed. He was about to lay down when another knock came at his door. With a hiss he yelled, "What?"

"Kyou, let me in," Yuki called.

The cat frowned, the headache he had throbbing at his temples. "Why should I?"

"Because if you don't I'll break the door down," the rat answered sedately.

The orange-haired boy bristled, but got up. He snicked the lock back, cracking the door open. "What?"

Yuki arched a brow at the new security measures. "Can I at least come in?"

Kyou growled but stepped back to let his cousin in. He kept his eyes on the other warily, shutting the door and moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "What do you want?" he asked irritably.

"I wanted to apologize for what I said last night. I didn't mean it the way it must have sounded." The cat scowled at him. "Look, I've wanted to be with you for a while now."

The cat looked up through his lashes with a hostile frown. "So why didn't you do anything about it before?"

The rat scowled back. "You're so annoying and frustrating most of the time that you try my patience." Those amethyst eyes narrowed when he spied the flowers. "Beyond that, Haru told me you weren't interested."

Shock was written on Kyou's face. "He told you what?" Yuki shrugged and the cat's rage built against Hatsuharu. "It's not true! I…I've thought about you for a while," he said lamely, blushing and scowling at the same time.

"So why didn't _you_ say anything before?"

"Are you stupid? The cat liking the rat?" There was an awkward silence.

"May I kiss you?"

Kyou's mouth fell open in shock. There was his cousin standing elegant and smooth, impeccably dressed and asking… "What?"

"May I kiss you?"

"No," the cat blurted, automatically bristling, his brain panicked. It was an almost mechanical response to his enemy's presence. It was a reaction he couldn't stop, even if he meant 'yes'.

The grey-haired boy's lips tipped up in a smile as he walked gracefully to the edge of the bed, leaning over. Kyou felt nervous; not only had Hatsuharu gone through a growth spurt, but Yuki too. Now they both stood a head taller than him. Kyou leaned back on his hands, trying to pull away. Yuki lifted a brow as the cat edged backward at every advancement and decided to crawl forward onto the bed. The orange-haired boy shuffled backward till he hit the headboard. Yuki smirked as he finally came to kneel on all fours above the other. "What's wrong, cat? Afraid?" Kyou's temper flared, but as soon as he opened his mouth to yell, his lips were taken.

Somewhere in the back of his mind the wheels were still turning, but his forethought was clouded. Yuki's lips were on his. They were moving on his. Yuki's lips were soft. Yuki's tongue was hot. The back of his mind told him this was much more sloppy than Haru's kisses but he didn't care.

Then cool fingers glided down his neck. He cried out as a shock of pleasure went straight to his brain and then to parts further below. "W-what did you just do to me?" His whole body immediately felt flushed with heat.

"It must be an erogenous zone for you," Yuki said with a self-satisfied smile. He caressed the other's neck again, stifling another cry of pleasure with his mouth. The cat felt drowned in sensation, rabid for touch. He kissed Yuki back with feverish enthusiasm, riding the waves of pleasure coursing through his lower belly.

He hadn't even realized the rat had undone his pants until the lip-lock broke. Yuki's eyes widened in comical astonishment. "You're not wearing underwear."

"I could have told you that," said a low, smooth voice.

"Haru!" the cat yelped in surprise. He tried to push backward, cracking the back of his skull on the headboard. "I can explain."

"You don't need to explain anything to Haru," Yuki said coolly, glaring at his interrupting younger cousin.

"I think I can figure it out," Hatsuharu said with an arched brow. "If you wanted a reenactment of our interlude before, Kyou, all you had to do was ask me."

The cat hissed and gathered the ends of his pants together to cover himself, the blush splashed across his cheekbones a violent red. "Yuki did it to me; it's not my fault!"

The ox's eyes traveled to the flowers on the nightstand and back. His face remained neutral. "Hatori is here to pick me up early. I just wanted to let you know." Then he left.

There was silence as Yuki stayed kneeling over Kyou, his breath fluttering orange hair. The cat kept his gaze steadily in the other direction. "Kyou..."

"Get out," Kyou said softly; the rat frowned. "I said get out." Yuki hesitated but took his leave, the cat locking the door behind him. Kyou wasn't sure what to do with himself, his heart burning with shame and lust, and for _two_ men of all things. He took a jacket from his closet and threw it on, then climbed out the window into the fading light of afternoon.

Yuki entered his room and paused at the sight of a small note on his pillow. He picked it up, unfolded it and immediately recognized Hatsuharu's handwriting:

_"Yuki,_

_ When we had sex, Kyou said he was mine. Try to take him from me if you think you can."_

The rat scowled and crumpled the note in his fist. This meant war.

* * *

You know, these things always seem longer when you write them on paper. :D Oh, well. I promise for those who love "How We Are, How We Were" that I'm working on two chapters for it currently. . I have not forgotten, I'm just slow. :3


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations

The Gist of Things: Haru's feelings are already known to Kyou, but now Yuki is making his known as well. What's a poor kitty cat to do?

A/N: Slowly the ideas come. Sort of a filler chapter? I guess. For later stuff. :3

_italics_ - thought

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me!" Kyou slammed his hands down on the meeting table in the almost empty room. It infuriated him that they'd _forced_ him to become part of the student council at the beginning of the year, having to work alongside Uotani and sit through meetings when he could be doing other things. Like _sleeping_. "No way!"

"It's already been decided, Kyonkyon. You haven't done anything to help in a school event this year; every council member has to help on some project. I had to be in the winter play because you refused. Now it's payback." Uotani grinned.

"You can't just sign me up for something, damn it!"

Uotani ignored him, waving a poster in his face. "I heard they're going to be doing it traditionally, as in shirtless. Do you think you can handle it, Orangey?" The blond girl leered.

The cat blushed bright red, glancing at Yuki and looking away. "That's just stupid!" he spat. It had been five days since all this mess had begun with Yuki and Hatsuharu, the end of the school week. The ox had insisted on visiting almost every day—only missing Tuesday to take Momiji out to a movie. And when the ox was around Kyou, Yuki insisted on being around Kyou. The cat had spent every night on the floor at Kazuma's dojo, trying to clear his head and get away from it all. It hadn't helped that to his sensitive nose his cousins' scents had taken over his room. Kyou found his mind wandering; he'd half been worried that when he crawled in his window that morning that the two of them would be there, waiting. Part of him felt a little thrill low in his belly at the thought.

"...ou! Kyou!" The cat startled from his reverie, almost falling over a chair. Yuki's face was close to his.

"W-what the hell!" he blurted, leaning away.

Yuki looked amused. "You've been staring off for a couple minutes now. Uotani got bored and left." He tilted his head to the side, a curious gleam entering his eyes. "What _were_ you thinking about?"

He could smell the peppermint on Yuki's breath. "Nothing." His voice came out huskier than usual and he turned away. Yuki quirked a brow, picking up his briefcase and following Kyou out of the classroom. They ran into Hatsuharu, who stood leaning against the wall, the top of his shirt unbuttoned to show off his necklaces.

"So I heard you're going to be in—"

"Shut up about that already!" Kyou growled, stomping past. The ox calmly fell into walking beside him, Yuki on his other side. The cat thought how absurd it must look, like he was some kind of _girl_ in a shoujo manga flanked by the two boys she loved. His cheeks flushed red at the thought and he sped up his walking; the others easily kept stride with him with their longer legs.

_This is stupid,_ he thought. _The both of them should be surrounded by girls. Haru and his J-rocker look and Yuki with his well-favored features._ He momentarily thought of Yuki's fanclub also fawning over him and shook his head. _They just think maybe I could end up an easier target and they like me just because I'm related to Yuki. I don't get it; they never liked me before and now _both _of them like me. And when did I start liking _either_ of them? They're probably just fucking around with me. And why are they always following me around now? Like I'm some sort of stupid prize in their fight._

_Shit! What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I stop thinking about this!_

Hatsuharu and Yuki glanced at each other as Kyou continued to mutter and storm his way down the sidewalk. Suddenly the cat stopped and whirled around. "Why are you two following me!"

"We live together," Yuki said simply.

"I like staring at your ass." The ox said with a neutral face.

The cat hissed. "Well, go home! I'm going to Shishou's place."

"I'll get lost on my own," Hatsuharu said blandly, feigning his horrible sense of direction. It really wasn't _that_ bad; sometimes he just liked to let people think he was dumb.

"Then have Yuki take you home!"

"I'm going to the dojo with you if Hatsuharu is."

"So I'll come with you. Then you can walk me home, Kyou." the ox said smoothly, silently implying the word _'alone'_. Yuki shot his younger cousin a venomous look.

"Fine, do whatever you want!" Kyou yelled, stomping off down the street toward Kazuma's place; the other two followed.

* * *

Kyou walked out of Kazuma's private bathroom in the business office connected to the dojo. Kazuma had greeted them cheerfully and invited them to train as long as they liked. The three of them had stepped into the locker room and that's where all the problems began.

The cat had opened the locker to where his gi hung and begun undressing. His shirt came over his head and he had tossed it carelessly onto the top shelf. He had been undoing his pants when he noticed the silence. He turned around to find both Hatsuharu and Yuki staring shamelessly at him, studying the bunch of muscles that sat right above the edge of his pants. The cat had flushed bright red and begun shouting at them.

Yuki and Hatsuharu had started accusing each other of ogling Kyou first, acting as if the cat wasn't even there. The tension in the air had risen and the orange-haired boy had realized there was no way to undress down to his boxers around the other two without some kind of reaction.

So he had fled and changed elsewhere. He walked out into the dojo proper, breathing a sigh of relief to see the others already there and practicing katas. Kazuma was on the other side of the room putting some elementary school children through their paces. He walked over to the wall and drew a shinai from the rack, moving off to the side to practice kendo katas(1). The shinai's tip whistled through the air with precision, Kyou's muscles bunching and extending under his gi.

"You're doing it wrong," a warm whisper hit his ear, making him jump. He jerked away.

Yuki came up behind him again, adjusting his elbows and the slant the shinai was held at.

Kyou's anger blazed; he hated it when anyone but Shishou corrected his form. "I know how," he spat. "I've been doing this longer than you!" The cat had picked up kendo a full year before his cousin and the rat was better at it than him, ranked one level higher. It nettled him.

Yuki's own ire rose. "I was just showing you what you were doing wrong."

The orange-haired boy sucked in a breath then hissed it out. He leveled his shinai. "Fight me, bastard!"

The rat's eyes went flat as he chose his own weapon from the rack. He squared off against Kyou, the tips of their shinai touching to acknowledge the duel. Yuki knew they should be wearing the protective padding but Kyou had made him so angry he didn't care any more.

They began their deadly dance.

Kyou pushed forward, testing Yuki's will. The shinai rubbed against each other for a moment before he thrust forward, Yuki easily turning it. They resumed their ready position, standing still and waiting for the other to move.

Yuki thrust and while the cat deflected, brought his blade to bear in a downward slash. Kyou danced backward on the balls of his feet, slashing with his shinai.

Hatsuharu never broke his stream of katas, but he kept his eyes on the fight. He hadn't protested when Yuki had broke off his katas to approach Kyou; he was interested to see what the rat would do. He was particularly angry that Yuki hadn't insisted they wear protective equipment; the rat knew how the cat got in the heat of the moment and he should have been the level-headed one. The two older cousins fought quick and hard, Kyou particularly graceful in his footwork. The cat was pressing the rat as much as possible, blade moving swiftly through the air. To anyone else it may have seemed that Yuki was weaker as he continued to defend, but Hatsuharu knew better.

Finally, as Kyou pushed forward with a thrust, Yuki danced out of the way and lashed out, the side of his shinai striking Kyou's Adam's apple. The cat fell to a knee, gasping and coughing, a hand at his throat. The rat pulled back to deliver a blow to his opponent's shoulders, but Kyou's foot lashed out, hooking around his legs. Yuki sprawled; the cat leaped forward to deliver a punch, but the grey-haired boy grasped his wrist, using the momentum to flip his cousin. The orange-haired boy yelped as Yuki held him pinned on his stomach with a knee on his kidney, the cat's arm stretched awkwardly out behind his back. One swift move from Yuki would dislocate the shoulder.

"Enough!" Kazuma's voice rang out. Yuki jerked Kyou's arm, startled at the sudden command, causing the cat to cry out in pain. Kazuma's expression was stern as he stood over them and the grey-haired boy released his opponent. "You know I've banned you two from your competitive fighting here. Neither of you are wearing the proper equipment for such a spar, and think what kind of example you're setting for the young students."

Kyou blushed and bowed his head as he rubbed his shoulder. "Forgive me, Shishou." Yuki simply looked down without saying anything.

"I think a week's break should cool overly hot heads. And Kyou, you must sleep in your own bed tonight." Yuki shot the cat a look but Kyou avoided his gaze. He'd had no idea the other teen had been spending his nights at the dojo.

Hatsuharu took a cleansing breath and bowed to Kazuma as the master passed. He straightened, staring at Kyou's back thoughtfully as the cat racked his weapon. Yuki was a fool if he thought to win Kyou that way: provoking him, making him feel inadequate. The ox's lips twitched. Fine by him if the rat wanted to go about seducing his prey all wrong; it made his job that much easier. He knew how to work Kyou, when and where to apply pressure, when to back off and seem nonchalant. The only problem was controlling himself, keeping his lust in check.

He'd made that mistake once already; he wouldn't repeat it. The news that Kyou was leaving his bedroom at night was also very interesting. What better way to corner his little kitty cat than by moonlight? He smiled to himself as he went to clean up.

* * *

(1) Kendo is "the way of the sword." Think fencing almost, but meant for a heavier blade. Shinai are the "blade" used in kendo, though they are not your traditional sword as they are made out of bamboo. If you don't think they hurt, think again: I've been hit with one and it left a huge welt. Katas are the particular forms and movements practiced in any martial art.

A/N: What is kitty-kitty Kyou stuck doing because of Uotani? I shall reveal next chapter. X3 Will you all be sad if it isn't particularly indecent? :D


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations

The Gist of Things: Haru's feelings are already known to Kyou, but now Yuki is making his known as well. What's a poor kitty cat to do?

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to orl-chan for saying I should update immediately. XD Is this immediate enough for you? -tease- Thank you also to everyone else who reviews; you guys make my day! Not to mention make my dog stare at me as I giggle insanely.

_italics_ - thought

* * *

Kyou toed off his shoes in irritation, throwing his backpack on the floor. Yuki followed him inside, calling out, "We're home!"

Tohru's face appeared around the corner with a smile. "Welcome back! Oh, Haru! I didn't realize you were coming over. Are you staying for dinner?"

"Yes," the ox answered before the others could object.

Tohru's head disappeared for a moment and then came back around the corner abruptly. "Oh, would you like to stay the night?" she exclaimed. "Shigure just went out to rent that new movie I wanted to watch. It's not a school night, so we could stay up and watch it together!"

Hatsuharu smiled. "I'd love to, Tohru." His gaze shifted to Yuki, who scowled at him. Kyou was glad he'd put a lock on his door. The cat made some excuse about helping Tohru cook dinner and escaped into the kitchen. The ox stuffed his hands into his pockets and excused himself to call Hatori and let him know he was staying the night.

Yuki took his school bag upstairs to hurriedly change. When he came back down he noticed Hatsuharu was not at the wall phone. He walked into the kitchen and immediately felt his fists clench. The ox was trying to act innocent as he leaned over Kyou to watch the other boy cook, his arms braced against the counter, effectively trapping him. He cleared his throat; Kyou jumped guiltily.

"Aren't you supposed to be calling Hatori?"

"Ah, Yuki. I was just watching Kyou's cooking technique," Hatsuharu said with a neutral face, not budging an inch. "I left a message for Hatori. I see you changed; it would be nice to get out of these school clothes. Maybe Kyou could lend me some of his."

"Yuki is more your size now, Haru," Tohru cut in happily, dumping some chopped vegetables into a pot from a cutting board. "Why don't you borrow some of his?"

"Yes, I could lend you some of mine," Yuki grit out.

"Aa, Yuki's tall like me, but my shoulders are wider, like Kyou's. Yuki's shirts would be too tight."

"Oh. I'm sure Kyou-kun wouldn't mind then." Tohru smiled.

Kyou tensed, worried that the ox would insist he go up to the bedroom with him, and then Yuki would insist, and then he would end up in an awkward situation with the two in his own bedroom, but the ox had other plans. Hatsuharu took his hands from the counter and stuffed them into his pockets with a bored expression. "Don't worry about getting them, I'll just go up and change." Then he wandered out past Yuki.

"Is there anything you need, Tohru? Something I can help with?" the grey-haired boy asked.

"Oh, no, we're fine, Yuki-kun! Why don't you go have a seat? Dinner is almost ready! I hope we'll have enough with Haru-kun here..." she fretted.

Yuki left the kitchen but instead of sitting at the formal table, he glanced upstairs. Against his better judgment he went up to Kyou's room. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, shutting it behind him. "Oh, Yuki, it's you. I was just about to change." The ox blinked owlishly at him to appear more harmless. The rat said nothing so the younger cousin shrugged and pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it carelessly on the bed. He pulled on one of Kyou's plain white shirts, adjusting his necklaces. "A little small, ne?" The t-shirt fit him at the shoulders as he had suggested but was short at least three inches from the edge of his pants, showing his stomach. He shed himself of school slacks as well. "Much better."

"You can't walk around the house in boxers; Tohru is here," Yuki rebuked.

"Oh? Would you prefer I wore some of Kyou's pants? We both know that I can get into them." He smirked lazily.

Yuki clenched his jaw. "Fine, wear whatever you want, just pick up your clothes."

"Why?" Hatsuharu sat on Kyou's bed and leaned back. "I think I'll sleep here tonight."

"Get out!" Yuki snapped, losing his temper.

The ox stood, walking to the door and pausing beside Yuki. "You know why you won't win Kyou from me? Because you're too timid. Kyou needs someone with passion enough to match him." He strolled into the hall, smiling to himself while keeping his outward appearance bland. The way he'd been riling Kyou up with touches here and there would make him fit to explode, and when Yuki would finally start making advances as the ox had goaded him to, that explosion would be quite satisfying.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs he found Shigure sitting at the table sipping tea. "Oh, my, Haru-kun, you seem to have grown quite a bit since I last saw you yesterday. Your clothes don't seem to fit at all!" the dog teased in his indolent manner, resting his cheek in his hand.

Hatsuharu smiled and sat down as Shigure poured him a cup of tea. "Hatori didn't answer his phone so I left him a message and I'm borrowing some of Kyou's clothes." He blew on his tea and watched Yuki descend the stairs from the corner of his eye. No sooner had Yuki seated himself then Tohru came out of the kitchen with the first dish. "Dinner's ready!" she announced. Kyou came out behind her, balancing two dishes which she took from him and set on the table.

"Kyou, why don't you wear the apron I bought you?" the dog pouted.

"Bite me, old man!" Kyou snarled, sitting down unceremoniously at the opposite end of the table from the two other boys. He put his cheek in his hand, scowling.

Tohru sat herself down to his right and clapped her hands together. "Let's eat!"

Kyou immediately dished out food for himself and began shoveling it into his mouth. "Kyou, if you don't slow down you'll choke," Shigure teased.

"I'm hungry," the cat snapped defensively around a mouthful and continued eating quickly.

"So I heard from a certain someone that our Kyoukichi is going to be participating in a certain school event," Shigure said with a wide grin.

"Oh, Kyou-kun, really?" Tohru said with excitement. "The spring festival is coming up; what are you going to be doing? Are you running a booth?"

The cat grit his teeth. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"Uotani signed him up as the lead dancer in this year's presentation of So-ran Bushi since he hasn't participated in any school even this year. The dance was the only thing left that she could sign him up for," Yuki commented, secretly having the feeling that the blond "Yankee" had purposely waited till it was the last spot to fill. (1)

"You'll be so great in that, Kyou-kun!" Tohru gushed.

"Whatever!" the cat snapped, stuffing his mouth again.

"And shirtless, I'm told. All the girls will swoon before you, Kyou-kun! Ah, how I envy your position!" Shigure said dreamily.

Kyou shoved the last bit of food into his mouth, finished in half the time it took the others. He muttered, "Thank you for the food. And _don't_ talk about that stupid dance any more!" he hissed. "I'm going to my room."

"Ah, but Kyou-kun, I thought you would watch the movie with us! Oh, but you don't have to if you don't want to..." Tohru said.

Kyou immediately felt guilty, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine, I'll watch the movie. I have to go to the bathroom." He retreated into the restroom upstairs and splashed cool water from the faucet on his face, then he set about changing into flannel pajama pants and a worn shirt, tossing his dirty school clothes into the hamper. He leaned on the edge of the sink for five minutes trying to collect himself; when he was done he stepped outside and ran into Hatsuharu. His eyes dropped to the pale abdomen bared by the too-short shirt, then he yanked his eyes up. "You look ridiculous," he growled.

The ox said nothing, just reached up and rested his hand on Kyou's cheek and leaned down for a kiss. The cat froze at the sudden unexpected touch. He melted at the sweet simplicity of the kiss; Haru's hands weren't wandering unwanted all over his body, his tongue wasn't prying for entry. Kyou enjoyed the feeling of the ox's lips just touching his.

Hatsuharu broke the kiss, sliding his hand gently away, and stepped around the cat into the bathroom, shutting the door. Kyou stood bewildered until Tohru called his name; he wandered into the living room. "Shigure-san said he had to work late in his study," she said warmly. "I'm just going to go get into some comfy clothes, then I'll be back down." Kyou watched her leave then seated himself to Yuki's left at the end of the sofa.

Hatsuharu entered shortly after and stared at Yuki. "Move."

The rat stared back. "Why? There's a perfectly good spot next to me."

Tohru wandered in and smiled. "You can all share the couch and I'll take the beanbag chair." While she turned to put the DVD in, Hatsuharu sat down on the left end of the couch, wedging himself in so Kyou had to scoot over, in turn forcing Yuki to scoot to the right end of the sofa. Tohru jogged over to flip the light switch off, then plunked down in the chair, hitting 'play'.

Yuki sat straight, back upright while Kyou slumped down with his arms crossed. Hatsuharu leaned against the arm of the sofa, his legs tucked up off the floor where they rested on the couch. Halfway into the movie he began wiggling his toes, moving them up and down the side of Kyou's thigh. The cat twitched but didn't move, figuring it was innocent enough as the ox's face never turned and remained focused on the movie.

The rat noticed the movement and frowned, now feeling like he had to compete with the ox. His hand strayed and he rested it on Kyou's upper thigh, leaning in to press their shoulders together. The cat's eyes widened as Yuki's hand began to massage his thigh through his pajama pants. In a panic Kyou stood and announced that he was going to make popcorn, shutting down Tohru's offer to pause the movie.

Returning, he set the bowl firmly in his lap, covering his thighs. Hatsuharu reached over, arm brushing against Kyou nonchalantly to grab some popcorn. He shot Yuki a heated look, challenging him. Not to be outdone, Yuki reached over and purposely tweaked Kyou's nipple as his hand passed by for some popcorn. The cat gasped; luckily Tohru gasped at the same time at something happening in the movie.

It went on like that during the entire film: light touches, groping fingers, even a hot whispered comment on the movie in Kyou's right ear. Hatsuharu kept pushing Yuki to new heights of flirting with his challenging looks while his own efforts stayed tame.

At the end of the movie Tohru stood and flipped on the lights, wiping faint tears from her eyes. "That was wonderful!" She grabbed the empty popcorn bowl from Kyou and took it to the kitchen, returning empty-handed. "Now where is Haru-kun sleeping tonight so I can bring out the spare futon?"

The cat and the rat both blurted out "Yuki's room" and "my room" at the same time. Hatsuharu shrugged and agreed. They all headed upstairs, Yuki helping Tohru bring out the spare bedding for the ox. Hatsuharu glanced down the hall at the other two and leaned into Kyou's room, shoulder resting on the doorframe. The orange-haired boy turned around to close his door and yelped, startled by the ox. "What do you want?" he hissed. "Shouldn't you be in bed with _Yuki_?"

The ox wandered in unasked and scooped up his clothes from the bed and floor. "I seem to have left my clothes in your room when I got undressed," he said smoothly, staring into Kyou's crimson eyes.

The cat blushed furiously at the implications of the ox discarding his clothes in his bedroom. Hatsuharu quirked a little smile the cat's way as he took his leave and Kyou slammed the door, locking it for the night.

* * *

(1) So-ran Bushi is a traditional Japanese dance about the harvesting of fish. The movements of it simulate hauling nets, throwing fish, etc. Here are a couple links to the dance:

All-Girl So-ran Bushi: youtube dot com /watch?v5SgqAjRSNOs&featurerelated

All-Boy So-ran Bushi: youtube dot com /watch?v2d6QHtOiHr4&featurerelated

The all-girls is easier to see all the movement of, but I also thought the words of the dance were clearer and more forceful when the men performed. If you ever have the chance to see this dance live, GO SEE IT! It's great in-person! I've been obsessed with making Kyou do it for ages. X3

A/N: hehe, poor Kyou kitty gets to dance in front of everybody. (omg, orl, I was terrified when you had guessed it right XD you mind-reader!) What shall happen in the night as Haru sleeps over? muhahaha...


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations

The Gist of Things: It's so on between Hatsuharu and Yuki now. Place your bets!

A/N: Ah ha, flopping around like a fish writing. XD I'm so bad lately. This is why I hate classes: I'm constantly writing essays and it makes me so stressed out that it turns pleasurable writing into nonexistent writing. Gomen for this chapter not being up to par. ;.; I will make it all better in later chapters, I promise. Oh ho, enter the Shigure next time...

* * *

Hatsuharu woke with a start, throwing back the covers on the spare futon. It was dark in Yuki's room but he knew well enough that his cousin wasn't in bed by the absence of his light, rasping breath. He cursed himself and stood; he had meant to stay awake until his cousin had fallen asleep and then planned to go find Kyou, but obviously that hadn't worked out as he had hoped. He made his way hastily downstairs, shoving bare feet into shoes and throwing on his long white trench coat.

The night air was freezing and silent without a breeze. Hatsuharu had seen the cat's jacket still hanging by the door; he had no idea what was going through Kyou's mind, but he was sure if he could find the feisty cat then they could share a coat. The ox smiled to himself at the thought of wrapping a shivering stray kitty in his jacket. He pushed himself clumsily through the brush, wondering where Kyou might have gone. He could feel his pale cheeks turn pink with cold.

He pushed his way through some branches that scratched and clung at his clothes and stopped dead in his tracks. Kyou and Yuki were kissing, the rat bent over _his_ lover, and Kyou looked like he was actually _enjoying _it. The ox was furious; this wasn't the way it was supposed to work out. Kyou was supposed to be in _his_ arms.

He went Black.

* * *

Kyou looked up in alert as twigs snapped in the woods. He was sitting on a boulder and the cold had seeped into his backside. The cold was seeping in everywhere, actually; he'd left his jacket at the house. It had been downstairs by the door, and not wanting to risk running into anybody in the hall late at night, he had gone out his window.

The cat sat frozen by the sound in the forest, his heart speeding up as he prayed it wasn't some of the stray dogs Shigure sometimes called on; they could smell the Cat. Once they had chased him up a tree and Shigure had laughed for days.

He would have breathed a sigh of relief to find it wasn't the dogs emerging from the brush, except it was Yuki. He tensed, pulling his feet onto the rock and wrapping his arms around his legs. "What are _you _doing here?"

"I saw you leaving without your jacket."

"So what, you're checking up on me now?" Kyou asked petulantly.

Yuki walked closer, kneeling before the orange-haired boy. "You must be freezing. You should take my coat."

The cat blushed. "Keep it."

The rat frowned. "Stop being so stubborn."

"If you get too cold it will aggravate your bronchial tubes. Just keep your damn coat!" Kyou snapped.

Yuki looked taken aback for a moment before smiling. "That's sweet of you, Kyou."

"I am _not_ 'sweet'!"

The rat's smile grew as he leaned up to kiss Kyou. The cat's heart leaped into his throat as Yuki's warm breath hit his face. The rat's lips were on his, tender and soft, then they were gone. "Sorry, I just wanted to know if you were sweet."

Kyou felt himself uncurl his legs almost as if he had no control over them. He reached out freezing fingers and touched Yuki's cheek; the rat's eyes grew hooded as he leaned into the touch. The cat felt a warm feeling crawl through his lower belly and leaned forward to capture Yuki's lips. The rat willingly let him take charge, surprising Kyou. Soon the cat turned away from a tame kiss and his tongue thrust between Yuki's lips. The rat sighed in pleasure, moving forward to slowly force Kyou to lay back; he could have sworn he heard purring.

Suddenly the rat was dragged back and thrown onto the ground, a figure looming over him. "Haru!" Kyou blurted, sitting up. "What the hell!"

"Stay away from him!" Black Hatsuharu snarled, though he wasn't sure which person he snarled it at. Yuki rose to his feet slowly, brushing forest debris from his pants. He calmly shrugged out of his jacket and stood ready with a scowl. "So you want to fight, huh?" the crazed ox asked, bearing teeth and shrugging out of his own coat, ridiculous-looking in Kyou's shirt and a pair of boxers out in the middle of a moonlit forest.

Yuki threw the first punch, fast and dirty without the usual grace of his martial arts training. The ox was slow in sidestepping and caught part of the blow on his cheekbone. He threw his own easily-dodged punch and followed up with a kick.

Kyou sat shocked for a moment that they were fighting, no less fighting over _him_. He had always seen Yuki refuse to fight Hatsuharu's Black side, always with a look of distaste for the ox's lack of discipline. The cat's initial thought was that the ox would be crushed, but the black and white-haired boy was actually holding his own through his sheer fury. Regardless, Kyou felt he had to stop this nonsense; he fleetingly thought that his life was becoming a shoujo manga again. He stood and tried to come between the two, only to receive an elbow to the stomach. He fell back with a hand on his side and snarled, then jumped into the fray. The cat was trying to block and deflect punches when Hatsuharu suddenly reached out and grabbed Yuki's hair.

Nobody ever _dared_ to grab the Prince's hair.

Maybe that was why it worked so well. The surprise of it unbalanced the rat and they all went sprawling. The breath left Kyou painfully and he sucked in air. He tried to orient himself, taking a moment to absorb the feel of twigs digging into his hands to gain his bearings. A bracing arm wrapped around his chest, a hand curling around his shoulder. His eyes focused to find Yuki laying underneath him. Purple eyes stared into his before he tried to stand up; something warm was at his back.

Black Hatsuharu nuzzled the cat's ear, looking over his shoulder at Yuki. "Ne, Kyou, doesn't it feel good to be on top of the rat finally?" Yuki scowled and Kyou made a startled noise. "Admit to our dear Prince that you dream about fucking us both, kitten. I can see it in your eyes," the ox growled. The cat panicked and struggled, uncomfortable that Hatsuharu would know something like that. The ox tightened his grip on his prey as Yuki stared in shock. "See, Yuki-chan? He's completely guilty. I know you better than you know yourself," he whispered in the cat's ear.

Kyou had finally had enough and snapped his head backward into his cousin's face. Hatsuharu fell backward with a cry of pain, turning White again. The orange-haired boy scuttled through the leaves and bracken, laying on his side panting. He scowled at the ox. "You're such a dick," he hissed.

"Kitten, I didn't mean to—"

"Shut up! And don't call me that!" Kyou clenched his fists.

Hatsuharu gently touched his tender cheekbone. "Kyou, I didn't mean to. I...I can't control my black side around you," he said helplessly. "Please...I just get so frustrated..."

"You think I care about your excuses?" the orange-haired boy hissed. "When we did _that_ that one time_—" _He caught himself and glanced over at Yuki.

Yuki raised a brow and frowned at the ox. "Well, Haru, it seems as if Kyou doesn't want you here," he said coldly.

In an instant Hatsuharu was Black again. "Is that so, pretty boy? Maybe Kyou wouldn't want _you_ around if he knew your exact feelings," he snarled, his eyes catching Kyou's. "When Rin left me, Yuki came over to comfort me at Hatori's suggestion. I was already into a bottle of sake. Poor little rat thought I couldn't hold my liquor. Did you think I would forget what you said to me in the morning, Yuki-kun? He confessed to me that he wondered what kind of fuck you'd be like. He got jealous when I commented I'd do you, didn't you, Yuki? You swore you'd be the first to get him." The rat looked furious, his shoulders stiffening. "I bet you remember that night well, Yuki."

Kyou's livid eyes shot over to the rat. "Is that true?"

"I...my feelings have changed, Kyou."

Black Hatsuharu opened his mouth to say something else spiteful when Kyou spit," I think you've said enough already. You already got what you wanted from me."

Hatsuharu gave him a mournful look, White side taking over again. "I got sex, but I want _you_, Kyou."

"And just how long do you think Kyou should put up with your black side if you really can't control it?"

The ox was back to his Black side in a blink; Kyou was having trouble keeping up with the changes. He'd never seen his cousin switch so easily and constantly between his personalities. "Then make a bet with me, Yuki. I'll have a set time to get my black side under control, and at the end of the limit Kyou can choose between us."

Yuki clenched his jaw. "Fine. Kyou can decide between us at the spring festival a month from now."

"You can't just put me in a barter like some stupid property!" Kyou yelled but the other two ignored him.

"Any date, anything one of us does with him has to be reciprocated by the other so that it's even," the grey-haired boy said, eyes flashing angrily.

Black Hatsuharu's smirk widened. "You have a deal."

"You can't just—!" Kyou's protest was cut short as the ox grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into a kiss. The ox's tongue felt blazing hot as it ran over his lips; his skin was so cold. Hatsuharu shot a feral grin at Yuki. "That was to even us out for tonight."

Kyou smacked Hatsuharu in the face. "Asshole!" A tense feeling roiled in the pit of his stomach; there was no way he could talk those two idiots out of some stupid bet he'd never agreed to in the first place. And maybe at the end of the month he'd feel better after making a decision.

Right?

* * *

A/N: homg, so I was looking at the account thing on FF and I realized there's a Stats button. XD I feel so old for not noticing this before. ;.; I was so surprised to see my numbers, they were so good. X3 It made me so happy. Also, I had NO CLUE what a c2 was, and I was surprised to see a couple of my stories added to people's c2s, so yay!

Anyway, I am DESPERATE to write some one-shot smut to get my brain back into pulsating and doing whatever it is brains do in our heads when no one is looking. So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE if you feel like it, request something smutty from me. X3 All I ask is that it be super ghey, because I still don't do hetero. And that I at least sort of know the characters/anime/whatever. XD It doesn't have to be Fruits Basket, but I'm sure a lot of people would like to request FB stuff anyway!

If there is some sort of smutty PWP you've been dyyyying to read/see with your favourite pairing, let your wishes be known! Give me a setting, a "plot" (lolplot), something you want to see and I'll make it happen. Either leave your request in a review or write me an e-mail/PM!


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations.

The Gist of Things: Kyou has become ill from a late-night forest romp and now he's stuck with Shigure.

A/N: Oh ho, must write more of this

* * *

The cat blew his nose again and sniffled; his head was pounding and his sinuses felt horrible. He gripped the edges of his blanket tighter and snuggled into it, grumbling and scowling.

"How are you feeling, Kyou?" Yuki asked softly, setting the glass of milk he held down in front of his cousin before taking a seat across the table. He pressed a cool hand to the cat's forehead to find that the fever still hadn't gone down. The orange-haired boy had woken up with a blazing temperature and a fiery temper to match. "What did Hatori say? And why are you sitting in Shigure's study?" The dog had finally brought the cat back early in the afternoon from his doctor's visit; the torture that was convincing the cat he needed to see the physician was something he didn't want to dwell on. Kyou was terrible at best when sick and that morning he had been a hellion.

"He told me that I'm sick," the cat growled, sniffling again. He didn't want to admit that he was in the dog's study because the dark-haired man had carried him in like some helpless _woman_ and left him there. He gulped the milk until half the glass was gone.

"Here, we made you some soup," Hatsuharu said, setting a hot bowl in front of the cat before sitting next to Yuki. He watched Kyou blow on it before putting a spoonful in his mouth. "We should have made you go back inside last night."

"Yeah, so Shigure and Tohru could have front row seats to your fight?" the orange-haired boy grumped, eating another spoonful. It seemed like just the other day he'd been getting over a cold, and now he was sick again. He _hated_ being sick.

"We're both sorry for last night, Kyou; it was rather undignified," Yuki said gently. The ox nodded in agreement.

"So does that mean your stupid bet is off?"

"No," the rat and the ox answered simultaneously.

Kyou growled and shoveled another bite into his mouth. He leaned an elbow on the table and looked away with the spoon dangling from his lips. Hatori had scolded him all morning and he was fed up with it. Like it was his fault that the other two had gone nuts! Not only their stupid fight, but on top of that sitting out in the woods negotiating their bet for what felt like ages.

And he'd be damned if he would have asked either of them for their coat.

"Kyou, what's this?"

The cat looked back as Hatsuharu slid a book across the table, reading the title. "It's a psychology book; it's Hatori's."

The ox raised a brow. "You stole a book from Hatori?"

"I didn't steal it!" he said defensively. "I borrowed it without asking. I'll give it back."

Yuki reached inside his book bag and pulled out a black case, opening it and removing a pair of glasses. He put them on, leaning over to look at the book as well.

Kyou blinked. "When did you get glasses?"

The rat glanced up. "Oh, Hatori was worried about my eyesight when I complained of frequent headaches during school, so he had me visit a doctor and get a prescription a month ago for reading glasses; these just got in today."

His fingers curled in the soft blanket nervously. "They...they look good on you."

The grey-haired boy smiled. "Thank you." He turned back to studying the book, flipping open the cover. "'DSM-IV'?"

Kyou grabbed the edges of the book and dragged it back toward himself, blushing faintly. "It's a psychology book on personality disorders. I got stuck waiting for Hatori for two hours so I was looking through his books and I thought about Haru." He kept his eyes on the table, flipping toward a dog-eared page. "And I mean, he doesn't have multiple personality disorder, so I was wondering what it might be. Look here: 'Disturbances suffered by those with borderline personality disorder are wide-ranging. The general profile of the disorder typically includes a pervasive instability in mood; extreme "black and white" thinking, or "splitting."'" The cat glanced up. "I think Hatori coined the term 'Black' and 'White' for Haru's sides from this book."

Hatsuharu's heart skipped a beat; he had never thought about this, and here was Kyou researching it for him. Had Hatori really known about this kind of thing all along?

"It also says it's usually brought on by a traumatic childhood event." They all went silent and still at the words, thinking back to Hatsuharu's early youth. "But it explains everything. Moodiness and switching between these personality types and 'emotional outbursts'. It says that with some therapy—"

Hatsuharu could feel the black side rising up inside him and tried to suppress it. "I think that's enough," the ox murmured.

Kyou moved restlessly, becoming irritated. "I'm talking about a solution to your emotional problem, Haru, and you're just blowing it off. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Black Hatsuharu suddenly slammed a fist down on the table. "Nothing is wrong with me!"

"Haru, Kyou's just trying to help," Yuki said softly.

The ox stood, sneering. "I am who I am and I don't need therapy. Pick fucking _Yuki_ if you don't like me." The younger boy stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut.

Yuki winced, a deep frown crossing his face. "I'm sorry for Haru's poor behaviour, Kyou. Obviously it's become too hard for him to control himself; he's grown much more volatile. Honestly, it's disgraceful."

"Get out," Kyou snapped. When Yuki didn't move, he threw the soup bowl against the wall, shattering it. Shards of glass clattered to the floor.

The rat stood calmly. "Haru is a big boy, Kyou. He makes his own decisions and quite frankly his reliance on everyone to accommodate his 'handicap' is insulting." Yuki took his leave sedately, shutting the door behind him.

Kyou slumped onto his side, laying his head on an arm. He had a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. Haru and Yuki had always been at least cordial with each other—he would even venture to say they were close—and now their relationship was cold and tense. The two had always been at least united in the family way.

The way of hating or at least avoiding the Cat cursed.

Hatsuharu had usually been civil, but he never socialized with Kyou, not until Tohru moved in. It had been only recently that Hatsuharu's Black side had begun to manifest steadily, always in Kyou's presence.

And Yuki. Well. The cat and the rat had always said when they were younger that they were friends. That was before they were separated. The spite had developed strongly over the years, the two of them kept apart until Kyou had been forced to live in Shigure's house. For some reason the rat had decided shortly after to move in as well. It had made Kyou feel trapped; he had no control over his life. He wasn't accepted as part of the family, yet they controlled him, everything about him. Yet he understood why Yuki had wanted to move away from the main compound, identified with that pressured feeling.

He understood the feeling of isolation shared between him and Hatsuharu. They were both pushed to the side by the family. Yet he didn't share the kind of familial relationship the ox or the rat had. He was still alone. Even Shigure, the most congenial of the cursed, had shown reluctance at the realization he was stuck housing the unruly cat. Kyou had never admitted that he had caught the tail end of the meeting where his fate was decided, but the look on Shigure's face had been enough for him to never speak of it.

Kyou curled up tighter on the hard floor, a sneer of disgust lifting his lip. _How stupid, I don't need anybody. I've never needed anybody._ He hated feeling this self pity.

"Oh, Kyou-kun, are you dead or just sleeping? I hope you haven't died from your cold or Hari will be upset with me!" Shigure bustled into the room. Kyou's fists clenched in irritation but he didn't move.

"You don't have to work so hard at being congenial, stupid mutt." Bitterness dripped from his voice.

"What do you mean, Kyou-kun?"

The cat shifted, looking over his shoulder. Shigure sat on the other side of his desk, smiling nonchalantly at Kyou. The teenager shrugged and looked away. "Tch. Whatever."

"If you want I can ask one of your cousins to help you up to your room." The dog's tone became speculative. "Except maybe Haru-kun; he seemed to be all riled up over something."

Kyou automatically responded by hunching his shoulders. "It's none of my business what that stupid cow does."

"Come to think of it, both Yuki-kun and Haru-kun haven't been speaking as much as usual, yet Haru-kun has been dropping by more often," the dog fished for information, staring at the back of the cat's head. When the boy didn't even stir, he changed tactics. "It will be so wonderful to see you perform on the spring festival, Kyou-kun! Why, I even think I'll invite Aaya to come, and then I could even bring a camcorder to videotape so we can play it over and over again for all the cousins!"

"Shut up!" Kyou reared up, snarling and facing the dog over the desk. "I get it, all right? My humiliation is hilarious to the entire family!"

Shigure almost smirked, leaning forward and staring directly into crimson eyes. "So what's going on between you three?"

Kyou gulped, caught off-guard. "W-what do you mean?"

"So coy, Kyou-kun, but I guess if you won't tell me, then maybe someone else will. I mean, Haru is always so straightforward, especially when he's his black side..."

The cat snarled, looked away. "I don't see how it's any of your business."

"Oh, but it is my business to know your wellbeing, seeing as I am your legal guardian now. Yuki-kun also lives with me and so I have his best interest in mind. I mean, if something is bothering our prince, surely Akito would want it brought to his attention." The dog rested his cheek in his palm, an impertinent smile on his face.

Kyou refused to look at him, sullen and angry. "Haru and Yuki, they just... They like me."

"Ah, so they're at odds because they both want to be your friend and they're jealous of each other?" Shigure loved watching the teenager squirm, enjoyed drawing a confession out of him to confirm his suspicions.

"Not like that!" the cat snapped. "They _like_ me." At the dog's incessant stare he blushed and added, "They like me like they want to date me. Happy now, asshole?"

"Oh, my! How intriguing. A young love triangle with our little surly cousin at the center. Intriguing, indeed..."

"Whatever."

"You know, I wrote a novel once concerning a love triangle..."

The cat listened impatiently as Shigure jawed on about his book. When the black-haired man paused for breath, Kyou asked, "So how did it end?" Shigure blinked, taken off-guard by the orange-haired boy's curiosity. "Your book," the cat prompted.

"It was very complicated. In the end, our sweet, beautiful heroine Miki ended up choosing Akihiko over Shinji; she felt he was her true love."

The cat moved restlessly, refusing to look into the dog's eyes. "But why was he her true love? How could she be sure?"

Shigure raised a brow. "Are you searching for true love, Kyou-kun?"

The cat growled, his cheeks pinking. "That's just stupid, it's just dating." He twitched nervously at talking so openly with stupid _Shigure_ of all people about this. "It's not like it matters."

"Mmm, well, her choice was made because she felt that magic, tingling feeling every time he looked at her and she could see his love for her reflected in his eyes!"

"That's stupid," Kyou scoffed.

"Do Haru and Yuki not look at you with love in their eyes, Kyou-kun?" the older cousin teased.

The cat found himself actually thinking about it before Shigure's lecherous grin snapped him out of it. He shot to his feet, fingers murderously gripping the blanket draped across his shoulders. "Don't look at me like that, stupid pervert!"

Shigure ignored him, staring studiously at the ceiling, a finger tapping his lips. "Oh, my, my. For our naïve Kyou-kun to pause and think about it means he really must have been very close and personal. Oh, but with only one of them or with both! How naughty!"

Kyou could practically see the wheels turning in the older man's head. "Stop thinking whatever it is you're thinking about me and Yuki or Haru!"

A knock came at the door before it opened promptly. Yuki padded softly inside with a look of concern. "Kyou, are you all right? I heard shouting and—" He stopped as Shigure looked around Kyou with a wave. "Ah."

Shigure smiled happily. "Enter the young suitor for the fair maid's hand!"

The rat blinked, confusion crossing his face before surprise. "Kyou, you told him...?"

"I didn't tell him anything! He's an asshole!" the cat raged, turning on the dog. "I'll rip you apart limb from limb for calling me a girl!" He was about to lunge when Hatsuharu moved swiftly into the room at the commotion.

The ox blinked at the scene; he had recently calmed down enough to return to his white side. "What's going on?"

"Oh, the second suitor! Kyou-kun is actually interesting now that he has men competing over him!"

Unlike Yuki, Hatsuharu looked unfazed. "Oh, you told him. That's nice." Kyou was quickly turning a scarlet colour as the ox shoved his hands into his tight pockets on his leather pants. "Since it doesn't matter now and it's not a secret, I wanted to ask you out on a date."

A tic went off in Kyou's cheek; he was absolutely mortified that Hatsuharu would ask him that in front of the perverted dog. "NO!"

"Awww, that's not very nice, Kyou-kun. Haru-kun is being very civil about asking you out on a date. He hasn't even hinted at anything improper yet!"

"You shut up, you goddamn mutt!"

Hatsuharu shrugged and smiled, completely ignoring the cat's outburst. "Tomorrow at seven then." He walked over, leaned down to peck Kyou on the cheek, then left.

Yuki scowled at the ox's back; Hatsuharu had stolen his chance to ask Kyou himself. "We'll set up a date for Wednesday then, Kyou." Like the ox, the grey-haired boy leaned down to peck Kyou on the other cheek then took his leave.

"Such a busy romantic week for our Kyou-kun!" Shigure caroled.

"Shut up, old man!" The cat angrily kicked the dog's desk then fled for his bedroom to nap and ponder with apprehension just what the ox had in store for him tomorrow.

* * *

A/N: Sort of bridging chapter, I guess? So that I may progress onto Haru and Yuki torturing Kyou. X3


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations.

The Gist of Things: Hatsuharu takes Kyou on their first date.

A/N: It's so much easier to write in daylight for some reason. X3 Thank god, though I have to wake up at 4 AM now.

* * *

Kyou finally found the will to roust himself out of bed around six in the afternoon; Shigure had let him stay home from school and the extra sleep had helped to reduce his fever. Of course, the noise the stupid mutt made all day did nothing for his headache. Who knew that idiot dog could make so much noise when no one was around? He clawed his way out from under the covers and shambled across the hall into the bathroom. He popped a couple aspirin for his headache then stripped off his boxers and started the shower, climbing in once the water was scalding and letting it soothe his sick-tensed muscles, lathering his hair with whatever generic shampoo Tohru had bought him. When he finally stepped out twenty minutes later—most of that time spent simply soaking in the heat—the whole bathroom was fogged. Somehow he always forgot to flip the fan on before taking a shower. He hated the muggy feeling so he wrapped a fluffy beige towel around his waist, walking out the bathroom door to head to his room.

And bumped straight into Yuki.

The rat blinked in surprise, staring openly. Water dripped across tan skin and the grey-haired boy took a moment to appreciate the cat's sleek abdomen, the muscled lines running down beneath the towel wrapped around his waist. "Kyou." His voice came out huskier than he expected, the collar on his shirt now seeming far too tight.

Kyou blushed beneath Yuki's gaze. "I was just headed toward my room..."

"You'd been in there so long I was going to knock and see if you were all right..." The rat's breath hitched, the temptation too great. Yuki leaned down, his lips capturing Kyou's.

The cat jumped, startled at the feeling of a hand curling into the damp hair at the nape of his neck. He fell back, Yuki's lips clumsily trying to follow. Kyou pressed his body back against the wall, gripping the edge of his towel tightly to keep it from falling off. Yuki's lips were wet against his as his tongue tried to gain entry into the cat's mouth, but Kyou refused him. The rat smelled spicy and sweet all at once. When they broke apart Yuki's cheeks were flushed. Kyou jumped guiltily at the sight of Hatsuharu standing on the landing.

The ox smirked. "Interesting."

Yuki's face turned cold and his voice tensed, the blush still on his cheeks. "How shameless of you to stand there and watch us."

"There's nothing wrong with watching two good-looking men; it's pleasant." Hatsuharu shot his own cool look at Yuki. "Even if one is kissing my boyfriend."

The rat looked away, dismissing the ox easily. He smiled softly at Kyou, leaning in to kiss him again. "On Wednesday," he promised, then he walked past Hatsuharu without a second glance.

The ox walked away from the top of the stairs to stand in front of Kyou. The orange-haired boy shifted nervously. "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to kiss me?" the cat asked with a surly look, his skin prickling with cold as the water dried.

"Do you want me to kiss you, Kyou?" Hatsuharu asked, almost teasing. His eyes roamed over Kyou's skin, taking in the perked pink nipples.

The cat stammered a moment before glaring, fingers tightening their hold on his towel. "I just thought because of your stupid bet..."

Hatsuharu smiled, his body shifting closer to Kyou's. His pale fingers lightly grasped the cat's chin, tilting his head up, and Kyou caught the faint whiff of cinnamon on the ox's breath. "Maybe later tonight you'll get your kiss." Hatsuharu shoved his hands in his pockets and stepped back, smile still curling his lips. "You'd better get ready for our date." He turned and walked back down the stairs.

Kyou fled to his bedroom, locking the door behind him. He unwrapped the towel guiltily, revealing his erection. He sighed irritably, briefly thinking about relieving himself before the blush rose to his cheeks. Even behind a locked door he couldn't bring himself to do it, embarrassed even in his own room. He couldn't stop thinking about the two downstairs; Yuki with his soft caring eyes and Haru with his wild, flippant attitude.

His hand strayed downward despite his resolution not to. He sighed as his hand moved up and down a few times before he released himself. Kyou tried to take his mind off it by finding something to wear, sifting through what little clothing he had. It only made him more irritable when he couldn't find anything he thought was nice enough that was clean.

That led him to be angry at himself for even caring if he looked nice. What did he care what he looked like? The frustration made him even more aware of his hardness. He threw clothes on the bed and sat down on the edge, hand straying down again.

He could make this quick.

Tan hand covering red erection, he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on coming as fast as possible. His hand moved over the head quickly; he bit his lip, trying to keep his panting quiet, afraid someone would be able to hear him.

Kyou tried to keep his mind blank and concentrate only on coming but his own mind betrayed him. Suddenly the image of Yuki's naked chest on his entered his thoughts. Yuki was sliding down, down, his lips quirked up, eyes darkened to amethyst. The cat's breath hitched to see those lips moving dangerously close to his erection. Hatsuharu stood to the side with lecherous eyes, rubbing his own erection through leather pants. The ox's eyes shifted and Kyou's followed to watch as Yuki took the cat's cock into his mouth. He arched at the feeling, allowing the ox to slide in behind him. The younger boy's erection pressed against his backside, pale hands traveling over the cat's abdomen. The ox tangled his fingers in Yuki's grey hair, forcing the rat's mouth further down on Kyou. The Hatsuharu's lips pressed hotly against his lover's ear. "Come, Kyou," he demanded.

Kyou came, but not in Yuki's mouth and not with Haru at his back. Part of him wished it hadn't been a daydream as his come covered his fingers. He sighed, muscles going limp, but just as he was coming down from his orgasm there came a knock on the door. His brain panicked as he grasped the towel jerkily and hurriedly wiped at his hand and the floor.

"Kyou-kun?" Tohru called through the door.

"What?" he yelled, heart still pounding in guilt.

"Haru-kun wanted to know if you were ready."

"I'll be down in a minute!" He shoved the dirty towel into the back of the closet, vowing to wash it later so Tohru wouldn't find it. He haphazardly threw on his chosen clothes and hurried downstairs. Hatsuharu and Yuki both looked up from their seats at the dining table. Their eyes on him made Kyou stop on the last step of the stairs, trying to shove down the memories of his daydream.

Hatsuharu stood with a smile. "You look handsome, Kyou." The ox didn't know that he had ever seen the cat dress in anything more than a t-shirt. The surly teen wore a long-sleeved collared black shirt and tan slacks.

Kyou fidgeted. "Well let's get going," he snapped, falling back on his temper to rule over his discomfiture of being stared at.

The black and white-haired boy nodded, following Kyou to the door, the cat shrugging into a jacket while the ox put on his long white trench coat. They walked down the forest path to the road where they waited for the bus. "So, where are we going?"

"You don't want it to be a surprise?" Kyou scowled at him, suspicious. "We're just going to the movies."

When the bus pulled up Hatsuharu followed Kyou on. They were forced to stand with so many people crowded inside. The ox took advantage of the close quarters to rest a hand on Kyou's waist, explaining it away as steadying himself against the swaying movement.

At the theater Hatsuharu was the perfect gentleman: buying the tickets, offering Kyou the choice of any snack, letting him choose where they would sit. All of it conspired to make Kyou suspicious. The ox _must_ be trying to sweeten him up for something later.

The movie was some martial arts flick that the cat hadn't heard of, heavy on the action and light on the plot. Kyou eventually settled in and stopped worrying about Hatsuharu's intentions. As he reached into the tub of popcorn during a particularly intense fight scene, he was brought to attention by the feel of the ox's cool fingers against his. He glanced over but the younger teen was focused on the screen. Every time Kyou reached for more popcorn, his fingers brushed the ox's.

Kyou kept sneaking glances but Hatsuharu never acknowledged their touching. He bit his lip, contemplating, then slowly, subtly leaned his shoulder against the other's. It was Hatsuharu's turn to glance over; he smiled and slid his arm around the cat's shoulders. The orange-haired boy tensed for a moment before relaxing. He found himself unable to pay attention to the rest of the movie, afraid that Hatsuharu could hear the rapid beat of his heart.

They were among the last to file out of the theater at the end of the movie as the ox insisted he liked to watch the credits. They stood outside, Kyou hunching into his jacket with arms folded. "So...where are we going now?"

Hatsuharu shrugged. "Home."

Kyou's brow furrowed. "Already?"

"You're still sick, kitten; you need your rest," Hatsuharu said softly, brushing his knuckles over the cat's cheek and forehead.

"Stop that!" the cat hissed, batting his hand away. He looked around, worried that someone had seen such a romantic touch between two men, but the streets were deserted.

The ox backed off, his face blank as his hands went into the pockets of his coat. "We still have fifteen minutes until the bus gets here." He turned his back and walked over to sit on the bench and wait.

Kyou scowled and refused to sit, pacing up and down, hands buried beneath his arms as his breath puffed out into the frigid air. Hatsuharu sat watching him calmly for five minutes before breaking in, "Are you cold?" The cat shot him a glare but remained silent. Hatsuharu sighed and stood, opening his jacket. "Share my coat with me until the bus gets here."

"I'm not going to stand around hugging you when the bus pulls up," Kyou hissed indignantly.

The ox sighed and slipped out of his coat, throwing it over the cat's unwilling shoulders and sat back down. He turned his head away, signaling his refusal to listen to Kyou's protests; the older boy shut his mouth sullenly and pulled the long white trench around him. It faintly smelled of cinnamon.

When the bus pulled up Hatsuharu let Kyou on first and sat apart from him. When he could have separated from the cat, he chose not to, walking Kyou all the way to Shigure's door.

The orange-haired boy shrugged out of the ox's coat and handed it back. He felt guilty since the ox was in a sleeveless shirt, yet the younger boy never complained. "Thanks for the movie," he muttered, eyes looking away. He waited nervously, expectantly.

"Aren't you going inside?"

Kyou blinked. "I just...I thought you would want to give me a..."

"A kiss?" Hatsuharu shrugged, his face carefully neutral. "I won't kiss you any more unless you want me to. Goodnight Kyou." He turned away to walk home.

The cat couldn't control his angry impulse. "You're such an ass, Haru. Do you really think I want people to see us doing something gay like holding hands or hugging or whatever? You don't have to act like a baby about it."

Black Haru whirled in a blink and slammed Kyou in the chest; the cat was caught off guard and tripped backward over the porch steps, landing on his rump with a cry of pain. "I've been more gay with you than just holding hands," he snarled, eyes full of fury. "Do you believe I honestly care what people think about whatever we do with each other? Obviously you care about it so much that you and Yuki can go hide in a closet together!" Kyou snarled when Black Haru blindsided him. "Who did you think about when you masturbated today, Kyou?"

"I-I didn't..."

The ox sneered. "You always get a dreamy look on your face after you orgasm."

"What do you mean 'always'!" Kyou shouted back. "You've seen me like that _once_!"

"So was it Yuki or me? Or was it both of us?"

"Both of you!" the cat snarled, shooting to his feet. "Happy now?"

Black Haru smirked. "So you thought about me; I was worried you only wanted Yuki now." The ox gave him a burning look that the cat felt all the way down, down, down. "I masturbate thinking about you too."

Kyou glared, stomach doing flip-flops. "Fucking pervert."

The ox's lips quirked up in a smile, his fingers brushing the cat's jaw before he took his leave. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, kitten." And just like that he was gone, leaving Kyou more confused than ever.

* * *

A/N: This chapter actually turned out different than I was thinking it was going to be originally. XD I also wrote half of it on the computer, which is desperately hard for me, but I ran out of space in my favourite purple notebook I wrote in over the summer. ;.; I have like...20 notebooks though, haha. It's time to fall in love with another one.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations.

The Gist of Things: Yuki and Kyou's first date.

A/N: Yuki is naughty, haha. :3 But not as naughty as Haru; nobody can be as bad as that big perv. XD

* * *

Kyou twitched, feeling Yuki's eyes on the back of his head. Again. The rat kept giving him that speculative look as if he could will the details of his date with Hatsuharu out of his mouth. The ox had insisted on coming over Tuesday and the three of them had sat around, Kyou unwilling to suggest any sort of activity, Yuki and Haru staring at each other placidly, and Shigure braying with laughter every time he passed between his office and the kitchen.

He was grateful for the end of class when the final bells sounded, but before he could even gather his bag and stand, Uotani's foot slammed against the top of his desk. "Don't forget practice today, Orangey." She laughed and left with Hanajima, ushering Tohru outside as the girl protested her treatment of Kyou. He bristled and slung his bag over his shoulder as Yuki came up next to him, silent but violet eyes piercing. Kyou rolled his shoulders and stepped outside of the classroom to find Hatsuharu leaning against the wall. Those lazy chocolate eyes rose to lock onto the cat.

"How the hell do you get here so fast? Your classroom is downstairs," Kyou asked sullenly, mood turned sour by the blond Yankee.

Hatsuharu shrugged. "A mystery..."

"Is that your answer for everything?" the orange-haired boy growled.

"Haru obviously enjoys being delinquent," Yuki said with disdain, but the ox just shrugged, his face calm and mellow.

Kyou rolled his shoulders again, walking slowly as if going to his doom, stuck between the rat and the ox again. At the bottom of the stairs he turned away from the shoe lockers and front door, heading toward the gymnasium.

"Where are we going, Kyou?" Yuki asked.

"_We_ are not going anywhere. _I_ am going to practice." The cat turned on them with a scowl. "_Go home._"

Yuki made no protest to the aggressive demand, simply touching his hand lightly to the small of Kyou's back. Hatsuharu raised a brow but made no moves on the cat, following in Yuki's trail as he was so used to doing. The cat breathed a sigh of relief until he opened the gym door and stepped inside.

"Senpai!"

The cat cringed as the younger boy trotted up to him in gym clothes. "We were worried you weren't going to show up again. You are the lead dancer, after all."

Kyou scowled at being called a dancer, the tic going off in his cheek; he was going to _destroy_ Uotani.The other boy stopped, smile faltering. "Who are you? How do you know who I am?" the cat demanded.

"A-ah, I'm Keisuke. Keisuke Masahiro, class 2-B. Forgive me," he said politely, "but everyone knows the Sohmas. All the girls talk about senpai, Hatsuharu and 'Prince' Yuki."

The cat blinked; girls talked about _him_? More importantly, what the hell did they say about him? It's not like he talked to any of them. He knew exactly what Hatsuharu would say about it as Black Haru's impassioned speech passed through his thoughts. The ox would do something stupid like claim they were boyfriends in public, or worse yet he would kiss Kyou. His mind carried him off to a world where both Haru and Yuki were kissing him in front of the student body...

"Senpai?" The orange-haired boy startled. Keisuke looked concerned. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Kyou said hoarsely, clearing his throat. "I've just been sick lately."

"Well, we should go get started; everyone's waiting!"

"Ah, I think I'm going to sit out today. I still don't feel well," the cat explained lamely.

"But you're our leader," Keisuke explained as if it had some meaning to the cat.

Kyou shifted uncomfortably. "I'll stay and watch, I guess. Just to get a feel for it before I start doing it, you know?" The cat nervously parted with his younger classmate, his jaw tensing as he felt the boy's stare on his back. He spent time watching the students go through the motions; none of them were seniors like Kyou and he had a hard enough time just keeping track of the people in his class, let alone the people beneath him. Yuki would know all of their names, of course. He fidgeted restlessly until he couldn't take it any longer. Shooting to his feet, he strode like a tiger onto the floor. "You!" he snapped at one of the boys.

"Umm...m-me?"

"I don't know any names," Kyou growled. "Your form is horrible. And you," he continued, whirling on someone else. "Your technique sucks."

"Uh, Kyou-senpai..." Keisuke tried to cut in, making placating gestures, but Kyou waved him off.

"Here, like this." The targeted boy tried to shy away but the surly cat was faster. He grasped the other's arm and brought it up, moving it sideways, setting the wrist just so. "Like this. Feel the difference? You were too sloppy before; keep your arm straight out, not dipping all over the place." He looked at the other boys, all eyes around him wide.

One boy broke the silence."Wow, senpai. With your help, we'll really show them at the festival!" They all erupted in cheers and excited comments. "We'll do the best So-Ran Bushi this school has ever seen!"

Kyou suddenly became nervous at the praise. "It's not a big deal. It's just like a kata," he snapped. Finding himself the center of positive attention was unfamiliar to Kyou and the rest of the practice session was slightly uncomfortable as everyone demanded his attention for correction to their dance.

He walked home alone near sunset, brain aching from extended time socializing. Toeing off his shoes, he threw his bag on the floor carelessly. The house seemed strangely dim and quiet. "I'm back!" he called out, wandering past Shigure's office and into the center of the house to head upstairs. He stopped.

Candles flickered on the dining table, a fresh picking of plants from Yuki's garden standing in a vase at the center. Yuki came out of the kitchen carrying a couple bowls and smiled. "You're home." He set the dishes down. "I thought for our date we could eat in since you had a busy afternoon. If you'd like to get changed, dinner's almost ready."

Kyou nodded, speechless, and headed up to his room. He became annoyed as he deliberated over what to wear. Yuki always looked so put-together without even trying; he growled in frustration and threw on his simple black t-shirt and khaki cargo pants. If they weren't going out he didn't have to dress all fussy, right?

When he came downstairs, Yuki was waiting for him with food laid out on the table. He hesitated, wondering where he should sit, when the grey-haired boy patted the seat to his right. Kyou sat, feeling entirely too close, and what if someone came home and saw them sharing a romantic meal?

"Don't worry, I politely asked Shigure to spend time elsewhere and Honda-san is spending the night at Hanajima-san's."

Kyou stared; it was as if Yuki had read his mind. "A-ah...Thank you for the food." He nervously reached out and began serving himself, unsure if he was being rude going first, but Yuki sat serenely. Kyou sipped his tea as Yuki served himself and was surprised at just how good the warm drink coursing through his body felt. He hadn't even realized he was cold. His muscles began to relax and colour came to his cheeks.

The cat found himself staring at Yuki as the other boy ate. The rat was all smooth, precise movements and Kyou was transfixed by pale pink lips parted slightly to receive food.

Yuki paused, chopsticks halfway to his mouth. "Kyou? Are you all right?"

"Ah...you just eat food gracefully," the cat blurted then cursed himself.

The rat smiled at the orange-haired boy's grumpy blush. "Thank you. I've often admired your passion for the martial arts. I wish sometimes that I could put at least half the heart you do into something."

Kyou played with his chopsticks, unsure how to accept the compliment. "What about your garden?"

"Hmm." The rat tapped his chopsticks against his lips. "I suppose I've always thought it was only a soothing hobby, but I do put a lot of time and effort into it." He smiled at the cat, a smile with meaning unlike the one he gave his sycophants at the school. "How was your practice today?"

Kyou scowled, stabbed his chopsticks into his noodles. "They're all hopeless."

"Surely it can't be that bad; second-year Keisuke from the swim team is with you, and a couple first-years like Yamada and Sanaka are promising enough on the kendo team."

A tic went off under Kyou's eye; he was right that Yuki would know everyone. "Well they're still hopeless. They flail everywhere and I have to correct them all the time. How can I be expected to get them in shape in a few weeks?" At Yuki's amused smile the cat growled and shoveled food into his mouth. Just when the rat was about to say something soothing, Kyou blurted out, "They give me this look. All the time. It's like how people look at you. How can you stand it?"

Yuki sucked in a breath, taken aback by the intensity in crimson eyes. A rat caught in a hunting cat's stare he thought, amused. "People look up to me as leader of the student council." He shrugged. "Sometimes it's hard, being aloof, but we can never forget we're Sohmas."

Kyou was riled now. "They call me '_senpai_'!" Yuki laughed, making the cat growl. "Nobody calls me 'senpai', it's stupid."

"They look up to you," the grey-haired boy said mildly, sipping tea.

The cat gave his companion a disgruntled look. "What the hell would they look up to me for? I don't even _like_ them."

A grey brow quirked. "I suppose they think you are the essential rebel; you're cool and distant and you always speak your mind. It doesn't hurt that all the girls think you're cute, therefore all the guys want to be like you. Honestly, Kyou, it's like you don't even attend our school, you're so oblivious to the attention. Though I do suppose that's part of what makes you attractive to everyone..." Yuki smiled thoughtfully. "Including me." The cat blushed, looking down into his bowl. He blinked in surprise as the rat reached over, grasping his hand that held his chopsticks, and guided a piece of sushi to his mouth. The cat watched, stunned, as Yuki delicately took the food, licking his lips with a small smile. "Not the best I could have done as far as cooking goes, but I like to think I'm getting better. Here, try this one." The rat selected a piece of sushi from the platter and moved it to Kyou's lips.

The cat blushed then took the offered food, awkward under Yuki's intent eyes. He fumbled another piece of sushi, offering it to the grey-haired boy, watching as that delicate pale throat moved as Yuki swallowed.

But Yuki could only stand it for so long, mildly annoyed and amused that Kyou wouldn't make a move on him. He accidentally dropped a piece into the cat's lap, making as if to pick it up; instead his hand came to rest on the cat's thigh. "Kyou..." He leaned over, lips capturing Kyou's, which tasted strongly of the salty soy sauce the other enjoyed so much. He broke the kiss, pulling Kyou to his feet and toward the stairs. "Let's go to your room."

Kyou followed nervously. As soon as they had entered his room, Yuki's lips had fallen on his again, pale arms guiding him to lay on the bed. He gasped for breath, unable to keep from moaning as the grey-haired boy's body came to lay on top of his own. The movement of another warm, lust-driven body against him was almost too much to deal with at once as Yuki plundered his mouth, fingers creeping up under his shirt. Kyou arched as he felt the rat's hardness against his thigh, alternately making Yuki groan as the cat's movement stimulated him.

Yuki's fingers began undoing his own shirt. Discarding it, he roughly brought Kyou's over his head, orange hair laying messily against the bedspread. His fingers traveled downward quickly, questing for the erection tenting cargo pants.

"Yuki! Stop!" Kyou's face flushed red, his breathing hard.

"Are you all right, Kyou? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you didn't. I...I'm just...I'm not ready for that yet."

A moment of disappointment crossed Yuki's face before he smoothed it away with a smile. "It's all right, but..." He leaned over to murmur in the cat's ear. "Do you think we could sleep together? Just to cuddle, Kyou, I promise. I won't do anything untoward."

The cat almost growled at the tease in Yuki's voice, but he finally nodded ascent, watching as Yuki undid his trousers and he followed suit with his own pants. The rat crawled under the covers, eyes moving across Kyou's body as the cat went to turn off the light and lock the door. He slid into bed beside the rat and Yuki wrapped an arm around Kyou, pressing his cooler skin against the heat radiating off the other. "Goodnight, Kyou." Yuki's voice rumbled against his sensitive skin and the cat wondered how he was ever going to get to sleep with Yuki laying half-naked beside him.

Despite this thought, he found himself slowly drifting off, noting just before sleep that he could still smell both Hatsuharu and Yuki in his room.

* * *

A/N: So on Monday/Tuesday I started writing the man!AkitoxKyou fic I have had stuck in my head for weeks now (it's like all rape and depressing, etc), and now I'm stuck on how to end it (even though I'm only maybe halfway done with it). Arrrrghhhh, and I can't get it out of my brain, either. D:

I should write Halloween smut. X3 HaruxYukixKyou smut that pretty much has nothing to do w/ the holiday. The holiday itself is an excuse to indulge. (It's my favourite holiday! X3) Ohmigod, I should write it while eating those awesome little candy pumpkins. .

Also...I had the most FABULOUS dream the other night where Kyou and Haru were Dee and Ryo (respectively) from FAKE, although Haru was trying to get into Kyou's pants. Also, Carole and Bikky were Kisa and Hiro. XD Homg. I woke up so happy


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations.

The Gist of Things: Kinda filly somethin' chapter? My brains is scrambled. o.o

A/N: All I can say is ARGHH LIFE IS SO...FULL OF STUFF! My updates... ;_;

* * *

Kyou grasped the towel around his neck and wiped his brow roughly; his hair was limp as he perspired and his shirt was plastered to his chest. He surveyed the younger students as he dabbed at the pool of sweat between his collarbones. All of them were standing around red-faced and panting, looking completely dejected. "All right, form up again!" the cat barked. The group collectively groaned.

"Senpai," Sanada panted, "isn't that enough for today?" The boy's legs felt like jelly and it was all he could do to keep from collapsing.

The cat's brow furrowed. "Aren't you on the kendo team?" He was making an effort to learn names and things with Yuki's coaching, but rising temper started to make his mind go blank.

Sanada nodded pitifully, trying to slow his heart-rate. "Yes, but coach never works us this hard."

Kyou held back his indignant reply; Shishou always said you got more with sweets than vinegar. He scowled at that thought, then sighed as he relented. "Fine, we're done for today, but tomorrow we're running laps. I don't want you panting all over the stage disgracefully." The boys quickly perked up and began talking animatedly. They jostled and joked with each other as they grabbed their things and filed out of the gymnasium and Kyou almost regretted calling the practice as he saw their energy. Soon, though, he was alone and the silence itself was a reward; he felt the tension ease out of his body and his thoughts settle quietly.

The bare walls of the gym echoed as he made his way into the men's dressing room to grab his things. He stopped with his hand touching his school dress shirt, bit his lip and looked behind himself. No one was there; he could indulge for once. His workout shirt came over his head, shorts sliding down his legs. The cool tile floor felt good on his bare feet. The shower was all his. Blazing hot water pounded out of the old shower head; he could hear the ancient pipes shaking behind the wall. He almost purred in the heat.

But in the silence Kyou couldn't stop himself from thinking. He had woken up next to Yuki that morning, of all people, and although the rat had looked so soft and beautiful, Kyou had bolted from his own room come sunrise. Like a coward, he thought ruefully. He splashed water angrily onto his face, washing away the sheen of sweat. The locker room smelled horrible like so many unwashed bodies and clothes, but he was willing to brave it a few more minutes for the hot water.

Once he felt thoroughly cleansed of his workout, he grabbed a rough towel and dried off. He noted the smell on his gym clothes with distaste; he would have to wash them tonight. He threw his school uniform back on haphazardly, fastening only three buttons on his shirt, and stuffed his dirty clothes into his bag. He walked back out into the gym and came to a stop after a few steps.

Hatsuharu stood from his seat on the bleachers and smiled. "How was your shower?" Surprise and then anger flooded the orange-haired boy's features. The ox made a placating gesture with leather-gloved hands. "I didn't look, I promise. I saw the clothes on the floor of the changing room and decided it was best to leave you alone." Pale fingers reached up to finger the other boy's hair. "Besides, your hair is wet; anyone could tell you just came from the shower."

Kyou scowled, ruffled that the ox could have been watching and he would have never known. "Why are you here?"

"To walk you home."

"I'm not some helpless woman! Walk Tohru home, stupid cow," the cat growled.

Normally there would have been some response. Something, anything; Kyou could remember when they were little and he would say the worst thing that would come to mind just to wipe that annoying blank look off Haru's face. But now...nothing. The ox stood statue still without a word, eyes unblinking for so long that it began to unnerve Kyou. "...Haru?"

The younger boy blinked and his eyes focused on the cat's. "I'm working on a new technique to keep myself from going Black." The cat rolled his eyes, annoyed that the ox had him worrying over nothing. "I talked to Hatori about what you found in that book," Hatsuharu continued. "He's very upset that you took it."

"You told him about that? What kind of idiot are you! He would have never noticed until you pointed it out to him!" The ox grew that blank, unmoving look again and Kyou ground his teeth. "Stop that! You're bugging me with your face," he snarled.

"You know what annoys me about you?" Suddenly Hatsuharu's eyes went dark, his eyebrows drawing down, the planes of his cheeks changing as his lips drew back. A leather-gloved hand shot out and grabbed the cat's jaw; the material was cool and Hatsuharu's fingers were burning hot. "The fact that your mouth is always yap, yap, yapping when it could be doing other things." The ox's other hand shot out and grabbed Kyou's butt, propelling the older boy forward. A devilish smirk crossed Hatsuharu's lips as he sensed victory over his prey, his face drawing close...

Kyou's hand flew up, covering the ox's face, blocking the oncoming kiss. He thrashed against the other's grip. "What the hell are you doing, Haru!"

"You like it, little kitty, don't deny it. You squirmed so nicely when we did it last time; all that wiggling you're doing right now is getting me hot," Black Haru said smugly against Kyou's hand, the words muffled. "Don't worry, I promise I'll do all the work."

"You said you were going to behave! You said you wouldn't kiss me if I didn't want it!" Kyou protested.

"You want it, kitten. You want it more than you could ever imagine." Black Haru's voice was a deep, rough purr; it felt as if a finger had been run down the cat's spine, making him shiver. His own reaction startled Kyou; he'd never heard Hatsuharu sound so...sexy. The ox looked ridiculous with a tan hand over his mouth, but his eyes were so intense, so deep and dark. Their gazes locked together and the cat felt his muscles relaxing, his body turning pliant under that intimate stare as his hand fell from the ox's mouth. There was honest feeling there in Haru's eyes, Kyou thought, the ox was letting Kyou see inside that complicated mind unabashedly. Even so, the cat resented the younger boy's statement; he hated it when people _assumed_ things about him, even if they were right. He knew he wanted it and that scared him more than anything else.

He couldn't stop his mouth from moving. "I slept with Yuki last night." He cursed himself as soon as the statement passed his lips.

Hatsuharu's arm relaxed around Kyou's waist, hand moving from the cat's butt to cradle the small of his back. "I know. I stopped by this morning to see you and Shigure told me he saw Yuki leaving your room. He seemed very eager to share the information," Hatsuharu said darkly.

"We just slept!" Kyou defended himself. "I didn't want to..." He waited in nervous silence under the other's odd stare. "Are...Are you Black or White right now?"

"I don't know," Hatsuharu answered honestly, eyes searching the cat's face. "I feel calm, but...my body is tempted by you he way my Black side is." The ox drew in a deep breath, smelling the cat's clean hair, the smell of soap freshly washed from his skin.

Kyou fidgeted, fingers kneading Hatsuharu's arms awkwardly. "Don't you ever get in trouble for not wearing your tie?"

The ox blinked, slow to respond as the cat's scent diverted his attention. "Sometimes, but I don't really care."

The cat blushed as the ox continued staring at him; he _hated_ that he blushed. He shifted restlessly. "I don't know what to say," he growled irritably.

Hatsuharu's eyes were so dark they were almost black, the deepest dark chocolate. "You can do whatever you want," he replied, thinking of several things he'd like to do to the cat.

Kyou growled at the unhelpful response. He took a breath and steeled himself, then leaned in and brought his lips to the other's. They touched softly and the ox tried to restrain himself. It lasted only a moment before the cat began pulling back, but Hatsuharu would have none of it. He pulled Kyou flush against him and attacked. Protests were silenced by insistent lips as Hatsuharu's tongue insinuated itself into the cat's mouth. The ox groaned as his lover fought back; the cat bit the younger boy's lower lip. "You said you weren't going to kiss me!"

"My White side made that deal." Hatsuharu's eyes were completely feral, his breathing heavy.

"So you're Black now?" Kyou snapped, confused and hating it.

"No." Before Kyou could berate him, the ox's leg kicked out swiftly, knocking the cat's support out from under him. He bore his lover to the floor. Kyou's body was so warm, his mouth so sweet. The tide of his Black thoughts washed over him, willing him to let go, to "black" out and let his deepest desires take over.

And yet...

Memories of his first time with Kyou, though blurry, nagged him. He remembered with shame the cat's protests, his struggle. But Kyou had also acquiesced and said "I love you;" the cat would never say anything he didn't want to, even under pressure. Plus he was so receptive to touch, his skin must be so sensitive. That tan skin, Kyou's tight heat, the pleasure of riding him to completion...

Kyou lay beneath the ox, bewildered as the other's weight bore down on him, pinning him to the floor. One moment the younger boy was hot and heavy, the next he was staring down at the orange-haired boy, unmoving. That stare was freaking Kyou out. "Haru? Haru!"

The ox blinked, his eyes focusing on Kyou's cinnamon ones. "I can't do this."

The cat growled. "Can't do what?"

Hatsuharu blinked. "Have sex with you."

"I wasn't going to _let_ you have sex with me!" Kyou spat indignantly, shoving at the ox's shoulders and twisting under his weight.

"Careful, kitten. You wouldn't want to lie to me."

The ox's eyes were that feral deep brown; Kyou tried to be delicate with the situation. "I'm not lying, Haru," he spat. The ox's stony stare was making him nervous and angry at the same time.

Wordlessly, Hatsuharu pressed forward with his pelvis. Kyou's head fell back and a strangled moan came from his throat. His hips betrayed his lack of control as they writhed upward, questing for that euphoric sensation.

"See? Lying kitty."

Kyou scowled, seething at his embarrassment, fingers digging painfully hard into the ox's arms. "I could easily flip you, idiot."

Hatsuharu's lips stretched into a smirk reminiscent of his Black side. "That's the point, kitten: you haven't. Now who's a dirty pervert?"

The cat bared his teeth, cheeks burning with shame. He braced his upper body and heaved upward with his hips and legs, forcing Hatsuharu's weight up and off of him. The ox flew over the cat's head, landing painfully on his back. Kyou twisted lithely to his feet. "You're the pervert. You want a fight, _then come on_!"

Hatsuharu picked himself up, his leather-gloved hands flexing as adrenalin pumped through his body, exciting him. "There you go with that mouth again, yap, yap, yapping. All you had to do was shut up and I would have made you feel good with a little of _this_ and a little bit of _that_." He groped his crotch; nothing turned him on like seeing his little kitten flustered and spoiling for a fight.

Kyou's jaw clenched as he threw the first punch. Black Haru deflected, trading his own punch with a teasing smirk, egging the cat on. The cat snarled at that grin; there was room for his fury and nothing else. The heat of battle rose inside him as he attacked Hatsuharu full-on.

The ox moderated his breathing, controlling himself tightly as he defended against the onslaught. Kyou was beautiful in his anger, eyes full of fire, muscles bunching and extending beneath smooth skin. He had never really been able to enjoy the sight of the cat as they fought before; his Black side had always overtook him, blurred his thoughts with madness. In this new space between Black and White he was calmer, firmer in the fight against Kyou; somehow he held is own now.

The cat's body ached but he could never admit defeat; his limbs protested every punch, every kick, every twisting dodge. How was Hatsuharu doing this? How had he not been defeated yet? By now he usually had the ox pinned, humiliating him once more, but the other's movements were so smooth, so fluid now. Kyou poured more energy into the fight, trying to move faster, to attack stronger. The ox couldn't win, he _wouldn't_ win!

Suddenly Hatsuharu let his guard down, his hands falling to his sides abruptly. Kyou halted his punch mid-swing in a panic, his knuckles coming within inches of the ox's pale cheek. Hatsuharu's hand came up to cup the cat's fist, the leather cool and smooth. He nuzzled Kyou's hand with his cheek. "I love you, Kyou."

The orange-haired boy's eyes widened, his breathing ragged; Hatsuharu had caught him off-guard. He noted that feeling inside himself, that feeling he only got when fighting the ox. The black and white-haired boy's eyes were so soft, so wide and sweet...

Kyou was on him, Hatsuharu realized, his brain slowly catching up. Kyou's lips were moving against his with a zeal, a lust, a tongue asking for entry and gladly allowed within. It was an ungainly position with the ox bending down to reach the other, so he grasped the back of the cat's thighs, hoisting him high. Kyou's legs pressed tightly against the ox's sides, mouth working desperately. Hatsuharu's fingers tangled in blazing orange hair. Kyou paused in his attack, panting softly. The ox smiled. "If I'd known that was all it took to get this kind of reaction..." The cat growled lightly under his breath, leaning in for another kiss when a soft cough interrupted them.

Keisuke stood within the gymnasium's double doors, his face bright red. "Ah, senpai, Sohma-san, I had heard your family had a superb grasp of the martial arts. Seeing the both of you fight was wonderful. But...I think I've seen something I wasn't supposed to now." Hatsuharu slowly lowered the cat to his feet, face impassive. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were still here and I just came back for some of my clothes...Um. I thought that you were cousins."

Kyou bolted. He bolted without a second though, fleeing into the locker room and through the back door. Shame burned him. How could he have let that happen? How could he have let some stupid schoolmate see that?

The ox sighed but made no move to go after Kyou. "Very distantly related," Hatsuharu said calmly. "It's really a formality that we call each other 'cousin' at all."

"Will Kyou be all right?" Keisuke asked uncomfortably.

Hatsuharu shoved his hands into his pockets. "Don't worry; Kyou is very sensitive."

"Ah, yes, well...Um, I'm sorry for interrupting. I won't tell anyone what I saw, it seemed very, uh, private."

"That would be appreciated." Hatsuharu nodded to the boy he vaguely remembered as being in the same year as himself and took his leave, following in the path of the terrified cat. He maintained his calm exterior as he had a thousand times before, but inside his heart was wrenched. Everything had been going so well, he had seen himself winning Kyou and in an instant it had all been ruined. He could only hope he could coax the cat around, that he could win more of those kisses again.

* * *

A/N: I do deeply apologize on a lack of updates on ANYTHING. Some of you may have read my author page and know that I am going through some medical difficulties. Recently I had an ultrasound done at a hospital and I am, apparently, full of gall stones that are "stones going on boulders" as the nurse put it. Now, most people don't even now what a gall bladder is, so it's fun. XD Anyway, my diet, it freaking sucks. Almost everything I eat causes excruciating pain, so I eat like...bread. :P

Anyway, no biggie, at some point in time they're going to take the little bastard out and I'll feel better. Woo!

Also...there's a profanity filter on this site now? haha


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations.

The Gist of Things: Kyou is devastated by the encounter in the gym, and before Haru can talk to him he finds a certain somebody in his way...

A/N:I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated this story; I'm so annoyed with myself! Not crazy pleased with this chapter, but I think it's just because I'm no pleased with anything. X3

* * *

Yuki looked up from his book as the back door slammed open and then slammed shut twice as hard. It was a sure sign of spitfire Kyou's presence. He set the book aside and stood expectantly. Sure enough, the redhead rounded the corner with shoulders hunched, his whole body tense.

And he stormed straight past Yuki, completely ignoring the rat.

"Kyou," the grey-haired boy called softly.

The cat turned on his heel, face full of fury. "What!" he shouted, clenching his fists.

"What happened?" Yuki asked calmly.

Kyou's anger faltered and his eyes glanced away. "Nothing," he muttered. "I—" The cat paused before another stormy look crossed his face. Someone was calling his name outside. He muttered something under his breath then turned to run up the stairs. He paused on his way up for a moment, turned around. "You can tell Haru to stay the hell away from me!" he hissed, then disappeared to the second floor. Another door slammed.

Yuki arched a brow and turned in time to see Hatsuharu come in from the kitchen.

"Where's Kyou?" the ox asked without a second thought for pleasantries.

The rat folded his arms. "What did you do to him?"

"It's none of your business," Hatsuharu said with a carefully neutral face. "Is he upstairs?" The ox didn't wait for a reply and headed for the stairs. A hand wrapped in his coat, bringing him to a halt.

"Kyou doesn't want to see you," the rat said coolly.

"Let go of me." The ox's eyes were dark, a deeper grey than the rat had ever seen, and he wore a scowl on his face. Yet Hatsuharu wasn't the blustering, boisterous way he was when his Black side had taken over. Something was definitely different…

Yuki tilted his head, a speculative look on his face. "You're not Black right now."

"No, I'm not," the ox agreed as he untangled the other's fingers from his clothes. "I'm going to go see Kyou."

"He said he didn't want to see you," Yuki said to the younger boy's turned back. Hatsuharu paused, one foot on the bottom stair. "Whatever you did pissed him off and he's in no talking mood. The only thing he said to me when he came in was that he wanted you to stay away from him."

The ox stared at the rat long enough with such a look that made even Yuki fidget, then finally took his foot from the stair. He glanced up then turned around. He frowned at the floor in contemplation then nodded to himself. "I'll be back tonight," he promised, staring off into space. Then he walked off without a backward glance.

Yuki listened to the sound of his younger cousin's combat boots fading away before heading upstairs. He would brave Kyou's ire himself.

* * *

Kyou looked up from where his head was pillowed on his arm. He growled and crimson eyes flashed. "Get out!"

Yuki ignored him and stepped into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. "Haru's gone." The cat grunted and laid back down. Yuki crossed the room and sat at the edge of the bed, earning another glare.

"What part of 'get out' don't you understand?"

"I could help you feel better," the rat said. The cat blinked, face passive. Yuki lifted a hand and rested it on his hip. "We could do something together, just the two of us."

Kyou's eyes widened, a light blush rising on his cheeks. 'Do something'…with Yuki? Before he could answer, the other boy closed the distance and kissed him. His lips were soft and then suddenly there was a tongue rubbing against his lips.

Kyou then felt Yuki grip his arms and tensed; so this was what the rat was waiting for. He had just wanted to seduce him into letting his guard down and at any moment he was going to go flying through a wall…

The cat felt a disorienting lurch as the rat began to press his advantage. He shut his eyes tightly and braced for the impact that never came. After a few seconds spent listening to his own rapid heartbeat, he opened his eyes to find Yuki staring at him with an amused smile. The rat had flipped their positions and the cat was on top of him.

Yuki took the initiative again and wrapped an arm around the orange-haired boy, pulling him down for a kiss. Kyou was hesitant at first, but eventually his tongue was coaxed out. Yuki's body was warm against his and their tongues were soon sparring with each other. Yuki tasted nothing like Haru; he was mint instead of spice, and his mouth worked Kyou's frantically where Haru's always went at a slow, sensual pace.

Kyou growled at himself for thinking about the ox; Yuki mistook it as a pleased sound instead of one of frustration and gave an answering moan. His fingers hooked in the cat's belt loops and pulled his hips down while his own lifted up. They both gasped at the sudden intimate rubbing.

Violet eyes stared up into crimson. "Do you want to have sex, Kyou?"

The cat's mind reeled in hesitation and excitement. Memories of the act between him and Hatsuharu flooded his mind. He licked his lips. "Do you…uh, do you want to be inside or do you want me to…?"

"'Inside'?" Yuki repeated with a blank look on his face.

"When Haru and I did it, he was inside me." Kyou cursed himself as soon as the words were out of his mouth. "He, you know, went in _there_," the cat continued.

Yuki stared in horror. "You… That's disgusting, not to mention unsanitary!"

"It wasn't _my_ idea!" Kyou snapped. "What the hell did _you_ have in mind?"

The rat shifted his hips. "I was thinking we could…rub against each other," he explained with a blush.

The cat nodded slowly and they both sat uncomfortably for a moment until Yuki suggested he should move. Kyou tentatively pushed forward and the rat bit his lip, eyes almost falling shut. Through trial and error they found a rhythm that satisfied them both. The cat rested on his forearms above the other boy, hips moving steadily. The pressure was mounting with the friction between their pants. Yuki was breathing hard now without uttering a sound. Kyou tried to hold in his own cries of pleasure, unsure how his lover would react when he was trying so hard himself to stay silent.

He was surprised that Yuki wanted him to be on top and do all the work; somehow he had imagined that it would be more like when he was with Haru. A part of him grew nervously excited thinking about it. He wondered what it might feel like being penetrated again. Being with Yuki was, in some ways, better; he head more time to enjoy the sensations, to explore the new feelings with his lover, and he wasn't being forced into anything.

Yuki gasped and dug his fingers into the cat's arms. His pale face was flushed as he bit his lips. Just as suddenly, he let go and lay panting on the bed, a serene look on his face. Violet eyes opened lazily. "Did you come too?"

"Uh…no…" the cat admitted with a blush. Since he hadn't come at the same time, would Yuki expect him to roll off him now? Was he supposed to finish the job by himself? He held perfectly still as he waited for some sign or cue.

Yuki smiled and lifted his hips. "What are you waiting for?"

Kyou let out the breath he had been holding before tentatively moving again. The stimulation of rocking against another person was unbelievable. "Can I kiss you?" he panted. As soon as Yuki nodded assent, his lips covered the other's, tongue desperate to feel friction. Yuki's mouth swallowed his groan as he came in his pants.

The cat rolled off his partner and stared at the ceiling until he caught his breath. The rat sat up and stretched, wrinkled his nose at the state of his clothing. "I'm going to go take a bath; care to join me?" Yuki asked with a sated look in his eyes.

"No, I'm just going to clean up here and take a nap. I'm tired." The rat nodded without protest and after one last kiss he took his leave.

Kyou locked the door after him, hoping the rat didn't come by after his bath and get pissed off about being locked out. The cat just needed some time alone. He cleaned himself quickly then curled up under the covers.

He didn't regret what had happened between himself and Yuki, but he was nagged by a sense of guilt.

It wasn't like he owed Haru anything, he reasoned. Haru hadn't even had the respect to ask if Kyou wanted to have sex in the first place, and although the cat was still intrigued by the thought of having the ox inside him again, he was still really pissed off too. Mostly he was just angry for the ox awakening feelings inside him that made him confused. If the stupid ox had just left him alone, maybe he would be with Yuki now and he wouldn't be completely baffled by the two of them. It was _all_ Haru's fault!

After his thoughts chased themselves around and around, he finally decided that sleep couldn't come fast enough to wash the annoying thoughts out of his head. Tomorrow was another day.

And like hell if anyone could make him go to school.

* * *

My readers who hate KyouxYuki have my permission to hit me with a shovel, haha. Torture me with hateful notes every day of the week till I write you HaruxKyou~ XD Hopefully FF Net has stopped eating some of my sentences when I upload/edit...


	12. Chapter 12

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations.

The Gist of Things: Kyou is not ready to forgive Haru for the gym incident yet and his brilliant plan? Cat napping, of course!

A/N: Can't stare at it any more. I find that's what I keep saying lately when I upload something, haha. I wanted to wait until I had the chapter after this one done as well, but yeah... We might all end up waiting at least another month for that to happen, even though it's, like, 70% complete. XD Guaranteed, I will obsess over it, though I would like to get it posted this week, too. I wanted to post them together because this one doesn't have an actual hard ending to it but ah well~

Please forgive my slow, lame ass for taking forever to write. ;_;

Also, my reviewer "unknown name" called me out and got it right. (But obviously I couldn't contact back to share my joy since it was anonymous.) I _did_ reference Persona 3 in chapter 7. XD I didn't think anyone would realize it; I love the Persona series, so much~

* * *

Kyou had sworn to himself that he wasn't going to attend school the next day. Nothing could make him move from his room. _Nothing._ He lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling irritably. By now the rumours were probably flying all over the student body about him and Hatsuharu making out. Just thinking about it made his fingers curl in a death grip on his pillow and he throttled it, imagining it was the idiotic ox, who he blamed entirely. It was Hatsuharu who had got him into this predicament in the first place! He would rather stay at home all day with the stupid dog than go to his classes and face public ridicule, especially from that damn Yankee and her big mouth!

Yuki had tried to talk to him about what might be upsetting him that morning, but the cat had feigned sickness and rolled over, ending any discussion the other boy might have wanted to have. The rat had reached over to brush the hair from the cat's stubbornly closed eyes before taking his leave, though, and where his fingers had come into contact with Kyou's skin still felt warm an hour later.

There was only one thing to do about the awful situation in Kyou's mind: he would never go back to school and he would never, _ever_ kiss Hatsuharu again! That decided on, he threw on his favourite hoodie and shorts and burrowed into his blankets, creating a warm cocoon around himself. In true cat-like fashion, he commenced a long day of thorough and unadulterated napping.

It was a few hours later when he surfaced from blissful sleep; an unfamiliar weight was causing his bed to dip. He growled in annoyance, thinking maybe he had left his window open and a stray cat had gotten inside, and peered out from under his covers, crimson eyes glassy and orange hair in disarray.

Charcoal eyes stared at him, full of mirth. The older man was kneeling on the floor, his torso leaning over the bed supported by his elbows. A smirk quirked the dog's lips. "Hello, sleepy Kyoukichi~!"

The cat startled back, almost falling off the other side of the bed, as the other male's face came closer to his own. "What the hell, Shigure! Get out of my room!"

"Oh, my, my~! Such healthy lungs for someone who's sick," the older man drawled. He simply smiled through Kyou's ensuing cursing tirade. "Yuki told me you were sick and refused to go to school. Did you have a lover's quarrel, Kyou-kun?" The dog batted his lashes.  
"What the hell makes you think that?" The cat cursed himself for even asking that question. The last thing he needed to do was fall for that imbecile's ploys! "And how is it any of your damn business!"

Shigure never stopped smirking as he rested his cheek on a palm. "Yuki-kun seemed almost sulky this morning and here you are, hiding in your room…"

"I am _not_ hiding!" Kyou snarled.

Shigure lifted a brow but resisted making another comment that was sure to rile the cat even further. "If you say so, Kyou-kun. So you won't be going to school today?"

"No; I'm sick, you idiot!"

The dog stood. "All right, but I'll have to call the school and let them know you won't be coming today, like a good legal guardian~!"

"Tch, whatever," Kyou grumbled, pulling the covers up over himself. "Just get the hell out of my room!"

Shigure smiled then raised a brow at the curve of Kyou's body beneath the blankets. He made as if to leave then stopped and tapped his chin with a finger, staring up at the ceiling. "You know, I think I'll have to give Aya a call. They say that the fastest way to get over being sick is to stay warm, and Aya just loves to snuggle. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to oblige; he always tells me about how you're his favourite cousin to sleep with! It's the perfect solution, don't you think, Kyou-kun? Kyou-kun?"

Shigure turned to find that the cat had already bolted out the open window at the mere mention of the snake in his bed. A knowing smile crossed the dog's face as he shut the bedroom door behind himself.

* * *

Kyou had tried at first to just lay low and hide up in a cherry tree on the school grounds, but the hall monitors were too wise to his usual hiding spots by now. Most likely his teacher had let them know he was missing from class. He ignored the idle threats to drag him bodily out of the tree—he had once spent a summer doing his katas while standing on branches to perfect his balance, so even if they could climb that far they would have a challenge waiting for them—but once they brought out the threats to retrieve Prince Yuki to get him down…

No way in hell would he have a confrontation with Yuki in the schoolyard! Of course, once he had jumped out of the tree and stood on level ground, eye-to-eye with the monitor, the other boy immediately backed off. He did, however, insist on escorting Kyou to his class, albeit five paces behind the grumpy cat. The orange-haired boy also received double detention from the teacher—one for being tardy and the other for not being in uniform—but he was just going to ignore it like always. It was, at best, a feeble attempt at discipline.

As he took his seat next to Yuki, the rat shot him a questioning look, but Kyou turned his face away, resting it on his crossed arms on his desk. White, fluffy clouds drifted across the sky as he brooded. When the bell rang for lunch he was the first one out of the classroom, but before he could really bolt, a firm grasp on his hoodie held him back.

"Let go!" he growled at Yuki over his shoulder.

The rat's violet eyes were soft with concern. "What—"

"Looks like Orangey's on his period today!" Arisa announced loudly, causing several students to look in their direction and whisper to each other. Kyou scowled but it did nothing to deter her verbal jabs. "Cat got your tongue, Carrot Top? I heard you're hard at work on your dance for the festival. Too bad they aren't making you wear tights, too; your legs might look good in them!"

Tohru stood behind her blond friend, frantically waving her arms and protesting, words stammered out. With every sentence from the Yankee, Kyou's shoulders tensed, fists clenching. Yuki watched on silently, irritated beneath his calm exterior, but to step in on Kyou's behalf would seem odd considering their usual enmity. Besides, the cat liked to fight his own battles; to try to defend him would only turn the orange-haired boy's ridiculous, easily-cultivated fury on the rat himself. Better to let him rant and get it off his chest.

The Prince watched as the telltale twitch began at the edge of the cat's lips, a snarl beginning to overtake his features. Yuki sighed and wished he had earplugs for the forthcoming screeching, but his ears were saved by a boy who cleared his throat behind Kyou, waiting to be acknowledged. The cat growled, teeth finally bared, and whipped around. "_What!_"

Yuki felt a twinge of sympathy for the other boy—whom he now recognized as second-year Keisuke—who had gone pale in the face of the cat's savagery. The rat steeled himself, prepared to jump in and save the younger student from a tongue lashing when he glanced over at Kyou and paused. The cat had also blanched, almost recoiling from the second-year. What could produce such a reaction from someone like Kyou?

"Yeah?" the cat asked gruffly, avoiding looking straight at the younger boy.

"I was wondering if I could speak to you privately," said Keisuke.

Arisa guffawed. "Pretty ballsy of a second-year to approach a third-year like that. Oh, but is this one of your prima ballerinas, Orangey?"

Kyou ignored the blonde's jokes. "Sure. Whatever," he agreed, breaking away from the group. Yuki bit the inside of his lip; he was terribly curious but he had to maintain his composure. There would be plenty of time later to ask Kyou about what Keisuke wanted.

Kyou followed the brunette junior with a scowl on his face. Students made way for them at the sight of his grumpy demeanor, all the while wondering why the crass senior would be hanging around a younger student, but nobody dared give voice to the question. Keisuke led them to an empty science lab and shut the door.

The cat leaned a hip against a black-topped table, crossed his arms and stared out the window. "So. How much do you want out of me?"

Keisuke blinked. "I'm not sure what you mean by that, senpai."

Kyou turned his head to stare at the other boy, crimson eyes full of checked fury. This boy wasn't Hatsuharu or Yuki, so he would be damned if he picked a physical fight with someone who wasn't trained like him.

That being said, it didn't mean he wouldn't attack him verbally. "Don't screw with me! You figure I'm from the famous Sohma family so I've gotta be loaded, right? How much were you planning on blackmailing me for so you would keep quiet?" he hissed.

"Is that really what you think I would do, senpai?"

"Well, you haven't blabbed it to the whole school yet," Kyou spat, gesturing wildly. "So I can only assume that you want something for it to stay that way."

Keisuke made frantic placating gestures. "I had no intention of doing that! The thought never crossed my mind!" he insisted, intimidated by the senior's murderous glare. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Haru-kun explained to me the...nature of your relationship."

A muscle in Kyou's cheek twitched. He could only imagine what the ox had "explained" about the situation. His fists clenched. "What did that idiot say?"

"Haru-kun told me that although you give each other the title of cousin that you aren't very closely blood related. He told me you reacted badly because you're very sensitive."

Kyou slammed his fist into the desk. "Do I look like I'm sensitive!"

"Not particularly, senpai." The second-year would have laughed to ease some of the tension if he didn't think it would offend the edgy third-year. "I just wanted to let you know that your secret is safe with me."

The cat mulled the words over for a moment. "Thanks," Kyou finally mumbled, looking away and shoving his hands in his pockets. "So are we done here?" As Keisuke nodded, Kyou made a beeline for the door.

"Wait! Umm…" Keisuke faltered when a crimson glare pinned him to the spot. "Are… Are you still going to show up to practice?" The cat raised a brow. "What I mean is, I'd really like it if senpai continued to train us."

"Yeah, I guess," Kyou said, voice low. "But I'm not going today." He slammed out of the room hurriedly. The look on the other boy's face made his stomach lurch; he hated feeling like someone was looking up to him. Ignoring the stares and whispers of other students, he headed straight for the roof. When the door flung open, he drew in a deep breath of fresh air. The cat basked in the peace and solitude and sunshine.

"Ah, it's you."

Kyou whipped around. There, lounging against a wall, sat Hatsuharu, shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun. The cat sighed in exasperation. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Getting some sun," the ox replied, remaining seated. Kyou stared at him, trying to judge whether the other boy was joking or not. Hatsuharu's face gave away nothing, as usual. The younger boy was congratulating himself on the decision to wait for the cat on the roof. Yuki had informed him of Kyou being sick that morning, and he knew that when Shigure forced him to show up for class like usual, the surly teen would rely on one of his getaway spots. The roof was the most obvious choice and so Hatsuharu had come up to lay in wait.

He knew Kyou. Surely this was a sign that the cat would choose him over the rat.

"How did your talk with Keisuke go?"

"What are you doing, _stalking_ me?" Kyou snarled. The ox was being infuriating, staring off into space like he wasn't intimidated in the least.

"I spoke with him earlier. He said he wanted to speak with you. He was upset that you might be angry with him." The ox watched the cat grow more tense, fists clenching, the muscles in his jaw standing out.

"'_Angry_'? Are you stupid? Angry doesn't even describe how I feel right now!" Kyou yelled. "Get it through your thick head, Haru: I'm _pissed off_ because you think it's a fucking game. It's not! This shit has to stay secret!"

The ox stood slowly, the chains dangling from his uniform pants jangling. He flexed his fingers, leather gloves creaking. He looked over and met Kyou's eyes straight on.

Kyou felt his skin shiver at that look. Chocolate eyes were almost black and the cat thought for a moment that the ox really _had_ gone Black, but there was something…different. Instead of that usual insane rage, there was anger fused with intelligence in those eyes. This was definitely a new breed of Haru. It unnerved the cat, certainly, but he wasn't about to back down. He didn't take shit from the stupid ox.

"You think this is a game to me." Hatsuharu stared at the cat as a smirk slowly spread across his face. "Stupid cat," the ox drawled as he circled the orange-haired boy. Kyou refused to turn around and follow him; it was a sign of weakness. He stood straight and stiff, muscles tensed. "You think you're the only one who matters here. _Selfish pussy_."

Hatsuharu didn't touch him, but the cat felt his breath on the back of his neck. His shoulder twitched and he snarled a warning. "I never said that I'm the only one who matters. Don't put words in my mouth!" he snapped. Hatsuharu wandered back into the cat's line of sight, his body just shy of brushing against the older boy's. Kyou pressed his lips together as he tried to suppress his irritation. "And you sure as hell act like it's a game," he accused. "Are you just doing this because you're jealous that Yuki likes me?"

The ox scowled in return. "Are you an idiot?" He leaned down, invading Kyou's personal space further. "I wouldn't have slept with you if I didn't like you," he said, voice dangerously low.

"Is that supposed to convince me that you're serious?" Kyou countered. "I never wanted to have sex with you. You forced me, in case you forgot, asshole!"

Hatsuharu snarled, the edge of familiar madness creeping into his eyes. "If you didn't want it, you wouldn't have laid under me like a bitch!" The ox lifted a hand and grasped the front of the cat's hoodie in frustration. "Maybe I should be the one accusing _you_ of acting like this is a game. Just because something stupid happened yesterday, you're suddenly all wishy-washy with your feelings. I would fight for you, but you wouldn't fight for me."

"I never said that either! I'm just confused!" Kyou growled defensively.

"No," Hatsuharu murmured, dark chocolate eyes gleaming. "You're just a coward."

Kyou swung to strike and Hatsuharu grabbed his hand. The cat lashed out with the other arm, which the ox also caught, and they grappled. "You have no right to say shit about me. You took advantage of me! You think just because you wanna dick around with me that I'll just let you do _that_?" The cat's lip lifted in a sneer. "I'm not helpless like the first time, so don't think you can get away with whatever you want."

"I didn't mean to the first time, but yesterday was just as much your fault as it was mine," Hatsuharu growled.

"Oh, yeah, I can see how the first time was such an _accident_!" Kyou pushed harder and their arms wavered in the air as each tried to gain the upper hand. "It must have been so hard to contain yourself while I was _helpless_!"

Hatsuharu leaned down, making the shorter boy strain. His face was inches from the cat's. "I hate who I am," the ox snarled. "I hate that I can't control myself! Do you think it helps when you rub it in?"

"Then stop being pathetic and _try_ to change instead of whining and crying about it!" Kyou replied without mercy. His temper was above and beyond the boiling point. He grunted as he pushed against the ox, forcing him to take a step back. The whole situation was stupid and annoying; he couldn't quite meet the other boy's eyes as he shouted, "If anything, _you're_ the little bitch!"

Hatsuharu made a little noise of astonishment and then, far from anything the cat expected, the ox began to laugh. Crimson eyes stared into chocolate in surprise. "Trust you to be so blunt with words, kitten," Hatsuharu said, his voice brimming with affection. The laughter lit up his eyes. "I love you, Kyou."

The orange-haired boy huffed out a sigh, resigning himself to this crazy mood swing nonsense. He was obviously stupid if he could forgive the ox just because he said something like that. There was no help for it; they were both crazy. "I love you, too, Haru. Idiot." His eyes narrowed in a heartbeat as a self-satisfied smirk spread across the ox's face. "But I'm never going to lose to you again," Kyou announced, and with that he ducked; Hatsuharu's eyes widened as his own momentum pitched him forward. The cat twisted, crossing the ox's arms over each other; he kicked out a leg for balance and threw the ox over his head.

When Hatsuharu opened his eyes, he was laying on his back looking up into Kyou's smirking face against a blue background of sky. "Dumbass. You really need to work on your adaptability." The cat made an undignified snort. "Even a yellow belt would have seen that coming. They should take your black belt away from you. First Dan*, my ass."

Hatsuharu smiled, making no move from his prone position, content to stare up into the face of his lover. "You'll just have to teach me some adaptability, then." An odd, inquisitive expression passed over the cat's face. The older boy looked almost...pensive. "Kyou? What's wrong?"

The sounds of the school bell ringing echoed up to them and interrupted any answer Kyou might have given. The cat's face went back to its usual annoyed, exasperated expression. "Now you made us late," he groused, giving the ox a hand up. Hatsuharu was dusting himself off when Kyou shot him that same curious look over his shoulder. "Come over for dinner tonight. We'll start on your training."

"Hm? Wouldn't training go better at the dojo instead of Shigure's house?" The ox's face was blank, his hands limp at his sides.

Kyou sighed irritably at being questioned and grabbed one leather-gloved hand, tugging the black and white-haired boy toward the stairs. "C'mon, don't make us even more late, stupid cow!"

Hatsuharu smiled. Kyou's hand in his was warm, even through his glove. The ox found he no longer cared about the training as long as he got to be near the cat.

* * *

*Dan = a rank in karate (and other martial arts). The first set of ranks are called Kyu—white belts through brown belts—until a black belt is reached. Black belts are ranked by Dan, one through ten.


	13. Chapter 13

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations.

The Gist of Things: In which Haru gets to go along with Kyou's brilliant plans for "training."

A/N: Actually got another chapter uploaded within a week; that is like a miracle unto itself for me~ Ready and enjoy (hopefully)!

* * *

As if his other form were a regal lion instead of a mere house cat, Kyou stretched. It was a regular routine for him, one to make sure that he was limber and prepared in a fight, and he most definitely expected another fight today.

Closing his eyes and regulating his breathing, he took in his surroundings with his other senses. The sun was out and shining, enough to make him temporarily think of foregoing his meeting with the ox in favour of laying out on the roof sunbathing instead. It seemed like they might finally be out of the cold snap that had been ruining their beautiful spring days. He could smell the scents of the forest coming back to life after a long winter's hibernation and a little breeze tickled across his skin.

Yuki was relaxing on the porch, watching the lines of Kyou's body as the other boy went through his stretches. It was almost as if he were preparing for battle, the rat thought with amusement. Kyou's look was one of intense concentration. Yuki smiled to himself. The cat had always had so much passion for the martial arts; he didn't know where the other boy found the energy for the nonstop training, honestly.

Kyou's brow furrowed as he opened his eyes. "Stop staring," he admonished without even looking in the rat's direction. He bent over at the waist and placed his hands on the ground, extending the muscles in his legs.

The grey-haired boy's smile widened. "And what if I don't?" The cat's answering growl made him chuckle. "So what are you preparing for?"

"Haru is coming over." The orange-haired boy straightened and moved on to stretching his arms.

Yuki's smile faded, face becoming more guarded. "What is he coming over for?"

Kyou rolled his eyes. "You're being childish."

"_I'm_ being childish?" The rat's hackles rose. "I find that hard medicine to swallow coming from someone who is usually the epitome of irrationality," he said coolly.

"At least I don't have a problem expressing myself," Kyou retorted, finally looking over at the grey-haired boy.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Yuki asked, tense and frowning. The cat had thrown him for a loop.

"I mean if you had said something before all this, maybe we wouldn't be in this predicament!" Kyou flushed after the bold words left his mouth and Yuki's cheeks turned an answering pink. The cat looked disgruntled and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "You know, if you had expressed your feelings sooner," the orange-haired boy mumbled. "Or whatever."

The rat scoffed. "What about _you_? You were about as expressive as a rock when it came to telling me your feelings."

"I tried a few times," Kyou protested. "It just...never worked out right."

"You tried, did you? And which line in particular held your confession? 'I'll kick your ass'? 'Damn rat, fight me now'?"

Kyou bristled and opened his mouth to retort when a deep chuckle sent tingles up his spine. He turned to see Hatsuharu emerging from the forest, one hand holding his school briefcase over his shoulder. "You two act just as I would expect from a cat and a rodent. Meow meow, squeak squeak," he said, his voice rolling with laughter. The ox picked a fallen leaf off his shoulder with his free hand then let it drift to the earth. "I could hear you from quite a way back there."

"Hello, Haru," Yuki said coolly, obviously unamused by the impression of himself. "I believe you once told me it was rude to eavesdrop."

"Did I?" the ox asked innocently while sidling up to Kyou. A pale hand lifted to settle on the orange-haired boy's waist. Leaning over, he blew lightly into the cat's ear. "Hello, kitten," he rumbled.

"Stop that!" Kyou pushed the ox away with a frown. "Don't act so familiar with my body!"

Hatsuharu shrugged. "But I am familiar with your body," he countered placidly.

Yuki's mouth flattened into a tight, thin line. Kyou blushed and shoved the taller boy again. "Shut up! Do you want me to train you or not?"

The ox stared blankly for a moment. "I don't know. You haven't told me what you're training me for yet."

"You need to figure out how to control your Black side, and if you're not going to agree to therapy, I only know one other way. And that is to train it out of you."

Hatsuharu mulled the idea over only for a moment. "All right," he agreed easily with a shrug.

"Good," Kyou said, exuding approval. His look of confidence made the ox feel suffused with warmth. "I was getting tired of that staring off like an idiot crap."

Yuki tilted his head, a quizzical look furrowing his brow, but neither of the other boys clarified what that statement alluded to.

"So..." The black and white-haired boy put his hands in his pockets. "Where do we start?"

Kyou smirked and cracked his knuckles, rolled his head on his neck. "I thought you'd never ask." He shoved the ox a third time, harder than before, making the slender boy stumble backward. "How fucking dumb are you, Haru? You think I want to help you with your stupid, pathetic problem? What a joke!"

Hatsuharu's eyes widened. "Kyou, I thought you said..."

"What, that I was going to help you?" The cat scoffed. "I don't even want you near me. You think after last night I want to be around you?"

The ox's brow furrowed, fingers clenching into fists. "I told you, it's not my fault that Keisuke saw us kissing. I thought we talked about this. I thought you forgave me," said Hatsuharu, his voice strained as he tried to remain in control. "Besides, if anything, it was just as much your fault as mine."

Yuki's eyes widened. No wonder Kyou had not wanted to go to school that morning. Jealousy burned inside him thinking about the cat kissing the ox.

"My fault? If you weren't so clumsy and stupid it never would have happened in the first place! You're lucky that I'm even giving you a chance. I should just pick Yuki right now!"

Hatsuharu's hand shot out, fingers bunching in Kyou's shirt. Every line in his body was hard with tension. "I'm the one for you, kitten," the ox almost whispered, breathing laboured. "I'm the one who can please you."

"You mean you can please me with your dick? I can get that anywhere." Kyou snorted dismissively. The cat's eyes grew hooded. "Even Shigure probably wouldn't mind doing it with me if it meant he could get off."

The ox yanked the cat forward until their bodies were pressed together. "Nobody puts their dick in you but me. You're _my_ bitch!" Black Haru growled.

"Kyou isn't property at all," Yuki said severely. "You should be ashamed of your behaviour." The rat glared down at his opponent from the porch, arms crossed.

Black Haru smirked, letting his hands roam down Kyou's backside until they cupped the older boy's ass, his eyes never leaving the rat's. "Jealous, you timid little mousey?" Yuki's jaw clenched, chin jutting out, but he refused to be sucked into the deranged side of his cousin's ploys. "Maybe we should do it in front of the Prince, kitty cat. I'll make you cry out my name some more." His tongue licked up the curve of a tan ear as his hands dug into the curves of the cat's ass, pulling him forward so Kyou's pelvis rubbed against the ox's thigh.

Yuki flushed with outrage and opened his mouth to protest when Kyou cut him off. "Don't bother, Yuki. I was waiting for this to happen." The rat blinked; Kyou looked completely unfazed. He wasn't screaming obscenities or struggling against the unwanted hold. It was disconcerting seeing the cat so...calm.

"Waiting for me to shove it up your ass, kitten?" the ox asked in a throaty purr. "All you had to do was ask if you wanted me to fuck you."

Kyou rolled his eyes in exasperation as Black Haru's hands began to take even more liberties with his body. He huffed out a breath and decided to end the annoyance. Expertly breaking the taller boy's hold on him, he followed it up by locking a pale arm behind the ox's back. Black Haru gasped as the cat rode him to the ground, knocking the breath out of the younger boy and forcing him to submit. It was over just like that. Kyou sat on the ox's back, keeping his grip tight on the other boy's arm. He smiled lazily like the cat who ate the cream.

Black Haru growled and squirmed beneath his captor, his other arm trapped beneath his own body. "Let me up!"

The cat chuckled and leaned over, his tongue slowly trailing over the ox's ear in revenge. "I'm not letting you up until you turn White."

The black and white-haired boy snarled and thrashed against the painful hold on his arm, trying to dislodge the cat's weight from his back. He shouted every epithet he knew, spat out every threat he could think of, but the grip against him was unrelenting. The cat bore the verbal abuse calmly until the ox stopped struggling some time later. Kyou pressed his other hand against the small of the back beneath him comfortingly, his body rising and falling as his captive sucked in air. The three of them were silent for some minutes as they listened to the sounds of the surrounding forest.

"Kyou," the ox finally interrupted the hush. His voice was calm and smooth. "You can let me up now."

The cat didn't hesitate as he swung off the other boy's back, releasing him; he felt a little pang of loss at being separated from the ox's body heat against him. Hatsuharu sat up and rubbed as his sore arm as Kyou settled himself on the ground, crossing his legs. "Why did you go Black?" the cat asked.

Hatsuharu looked over at him, confused by the unexpected question. He pondered the query a moment before replying, "Because you were insulting me. And you said that you would let someone else touch you."

Kyou was not unaware of the ox's muscles tensing at the thought. "But why did you go Black?" he pressed.

Hatsuharu frowned and the cat tried not to let the fact that he thought the lost puppy look was cute come across his face. "I just told you why."

"No,_ why_ did you go Black?" the cat asked again, insistent.

The ox pressed his lips together; they went pale with the strain of keeping his frustration in check. "Kyou, I don't understand what you're asking."

The orange-haired boy breathed serenely. "The question is why you went Black in this situation. If I had been saying things to provoke Yuki, he would have lashed out at me, but he would have done it with controlled force. You, however, become an uncontrollable mess." The corner of his lip quirked upward. "What is the root cause of it?"

"I became frustrated," Hatsuharu answered slowly then paused. "The feelings just...overwhelm me. I can't control it. It overtakes me." The ox's face was blank as he struggled to express himself.

"There is your problem. You say 'I can't control it' when what you mean is 'I won't control it.' How the problem began doesn't matter now. What matters is that you help perpetuate it with your negative thoughts. You need to get them under control."

"Kyou, this isn't a controllable problem." Hatsuharu's voice was deep and husky with contained emotion.

"Now you're just being stupid," the cat admonished. Yuki watched as the ox's fists clenched on his lap. "You let other people control you," Kyou asserted. "You let them tell you a bunch of bullshit and you let yourself believe it. Everything about you is in your own hands, so you can keep whining or just do something about it, you dumbass cow."

The ox tensed, every line in his body drawn taut. "If I could have done something about it before, I would have. I've tried everything I can think of with no results."  
Kyou let loose a nasty little laugh. "Maybe that's the problem: you tried everything _you_ could think of. We can all see that you're not that big on thinking."

Colour rose on Hatsuharu's cheeks. "I don't see you controlling yourself at all times, Kyou."

The cat shrugged with a bored expression. "Yeah, well, I'm not the crazy one."

The black and white-haired boy's breath came raggedly. Yuki braced himself for the ensuing battle when he glanced over at Kyou. The cat still sat as placidly as ever, his crimson eyes almost calculating as they observed the younger boy's reaction.

Hatsuharu's head tilted back and his eyes fell shut as he tried to regulate his breathing. The insidious anger was welling up within him as he tried to choke it down. He couldn't let Kyou win. He wouldn't accept defeat in the face of the cat's smugness. When he had finally managed to moderate his breathing, he opened his eyes halfway, staring at the cat with hooded eyes. A smirk hovered on the other boy's lips. "You're trying to bait me." His voice was a deep rasp; the cat felt it go up his spine in a little shiver.

"Well. Maybe you're not so dumb, after all," Kyou said lightly, trying not to let the fact that Hatsuharu's half-lidded stare was affecting him show. He had the unreasonable urge to want to crawl into the ox's lap and kiss him, which was completely undignified. "It's just like anything else: it requires practice," he said briskly, trying to ignore his own bothersome thoughts. "Stepping onto a tatami and swinging a shinai doesn't make you a samurai. It takes time. We have a lot of work on our hands and I'm gonna bust your ass till you get it right."

The ox smiled beatifically. "Thank you, Kyou." That smile made the cat's heart beat harder and jealousy crawl under Yuki's skin.

"Don't thank me yet, idiot," Kyou retorted gruffly. "I'll put you through hell."

"I don't see how you'll get a rise out of me now," the ox said, "since I know your method."

The cat gained his feet smoothly and made a show of rolling a shoulder and stretching. He stared down arrogantly at the ox. "The student should never question the teacher." Kyou took a few graceful steps over to the edge of the porch. A tan hand shot out, fingers tangling in the rat's pressed white school shirt. He hauled the other boy forward and with one hot glance at the ox, pulled the rat into a kiss.

At first Yuki's lips were stiff and unresponsive but then their mouths were vying with each other, tongues burning hot. Yuki was bending down over the cat; one hand came up to tangle in rough orange locks. Kyou gasped as his hair was tugged on and their moist tongues were briefly visible in the space between before Yuki's lips attacked again. All thought of Hatsuharu briefly fled Kyou's mind.

"Get your filthy hands off him, you damn rat!"

Well, until that.

* * *

Kyou lay belly up on his bed, one arm flung over his eyes. He was worn out. Earlier he had listened to a full hour of Shigure whining and moaning about the further destruction of his home. What were a couple of shouji doors to a rich best-selling novelist, anyway? The cat had been forced to throw the ox through them when Hatsuharu tried to charge full force into the rat. The thought of those reproachful chocolate eyes after the ox had come back to his senses was something Kyou tried to push out of his mind. Stupid cow. Things had only devolved further from there and it made the cat's blood pressure rise just thinking about it.

There came a knock on his door, which he ignored. He focused on the feel of his slow breath leaving his body and the next inhale. He was aware of the perfectly straight alignment of his spine. His legs dangled over the edge of the bed from the knees down; his bare feet were flush against the cool wood flooring.

A quiet creak alerted him to the fact that someone had entered his room uninvited. His ears focused on the sound of the door shutting, of bare feet padding softly across the room to stand before the bed. He could imagine the other boy's face looking down at him, soft and questioning, grey hair caressing his cheeks. The other boy's soft pink lips would be parted slightly by the sound of his breathing...

"Kyou." Yuki made it sound like a sigh, an entreaty. The cat made no move from his prone position.

Kyou could almost physically feel the other boy's gaze raking across him. He could imagine violet eyes resting on his bruised cheek, then traveling down to where his lower lip was swollen with an angry red split in it, then the rat's eyes would jerk back up to the multiple small bruises decorating his forearm.

"I'm sorry," Yuki finally murmured.

Kyou let his mind wander. After Hatsuharu had gone Black a second time, they had fought brief and hard, the ox going through the dog's prized shouji doors. The cat's blood had been singing with battle. Then Yuki had opened his mouth to disparage the younger boy. It irritated Kyou, those words; he had snapped while trying to defend Hatsuharu. And, like hundreds of times before, he had fought the rat and ended up with the same result as always.

He wasn't really too angry about it any more; he just liked knowing that his silence was making the other boy uncomfortable. His sensitive ears picked up the infinitesimal rustling of cloth as the rat fidgeted.

Kyou's heartbeat picked up as his senses told him that Yuki had gone to his knees before him, his body coming to rest between the cat's legs. Kyou tried not to show any reaction to the close proximity; he couldn't let the rat know just how badly he affected him. Hands settled on his thighs, their warmth soaking through his pants and into his skin. He refused to look; he sternly told himself not to look. The hands were traveling upward now, over his hips then up under his shirt. Fingers teased over the skin of his belly, somewhere between seductive and tickling. Kyou was already half hard.

He _wouldn't_ look! He didn't want that damn rat to know he had power over him.

The hem of his shirt was lifted inch by inch; Yuki was draping the cat's lower torso with his body now, forcing the orange-haired boy's legs apart.

Kyou gasped as the rat's lips brushed over his skin just below his navel. He clenched his teeth together, annoyed that he had even made a sound. Yuki was placing light kisses over his skin and he had to fight the urge to squirm. His body grew hot knowing that the rat could probably feel his growing erection.

Yuki expelled a sultry breath over the tan stomach beneath him, letting his tongue snake out to lick a trail from the waistband of the cat's shorts to his navel. The orange-haired boy was almost shivering with tension; it excited Yuki to know that he was the reason that the cat was so on edge. His fingers went to the hem of the other boy's pants; he looked for any sign of refusal but Kyou gave none. The sound of his shorts being worked off his hips filled the room.

The cat tried to keep his breathing normal. Yuki's hands were peeling back his clothing, so close to the epicenter of his need. He felt the hesitation of the other boy, the lingering doubts that floated between the two of them hanging in the air. This was crazy, Kyou thought to himself. He was torn between wanting to push the rat away just to be stubborn and his own curiosity, his mind blurred by indecision, but then Yuki picked up his resolve.

Every muscle in the cat's body went rigid as the rat's hand guided his hardening length from his pants. Desperate thoughts flowed through his mind too fast for him to comprehend, overloading his ability to think straight as the grey-haired boy's warm breath wafted over his tender flesh.

Yuki was not fully prepared for the cat's reaction as his tongue tentatively touched the head of the hard length in front of him. Kyou cried out, body arching like an electric current was running through him, and Yuki had to press the other boy's legs down or be kicked. The rat stilled, waiting breathlessly. The cat finally settled back, fists clenched and teeth bared. Yuki's tongue ran over the flushed head again; he smirked, delighting in the whine that issued from Kyou's throat. This was a power he had never felt before. The cat was easily dominated in a fight, of course, but he felt no high from such petty things. This was vastly different.

Yuki took the head into his mouth, eyes trained upward to watch the cat's fists clenching tighter, teeth digging into his lower lip now. His mouth descended a little farther and his tongue rubbed over the veined flesh, so like his own and yet not. When his tongue swiped over the head again, salty bitterness bloomed on his tastebuds. Kyou's cock was weeping precum now and the taste was unlike anything else Yuki had experienced.

Kyou's legs were curling up toward his torso, muscles winding tighter and tighter. There were wet, sucking noises coming from between his legs. They made him blush like crazy. This was too embarrassing, to have Yuki's mouth doing..._that_ to him. He pressed his forearm harder against his face, trying to maintain control. Despite his efforts, his legs jerked and he cried out as the other boy's tongue rubbed hard just under the head. He was already close, too close. He couldn't come so soon; it would be too much to do it that quickly. He would die of shame.

The rat released the cock in his mouth with a wet slap, wiped at the trail of saliva running from his mouth with the back of his hand. His jaw ached from the unfamiliar activity. Replacing his mouth with his hand, he began kissing his way up the cat's belly.

Kyou sighed in relief at the reprieve. Not that Yuki's hand didn't feel good too, but he had almost reached the point of no return with that hot, wet mouth on him. He relaxed as the kisses traveled up his torso. They were so soothing and sweet; he wasn't used to being on the receiving end of such attentions. Those kisses almost made him forgive Yuki for his latest bruises. His mind started to drift off from the warm pleasure seeping through his body.

Yuki stared up the length of Kyou's body as his lips continued to brush over flesh, violet eyes taking in the sight of the cat's head tilting back as he panted. The hips beneath him were starting to hitch upward, pushing the erection harder through his curled fingers.

Violet eyes trained on the exposed tan neck above him and the temptation became too great to suppress.

Kyou let loose a long, hoarse cry as lips and tongue came into contact with his sensitive neck. His nerves pulsed with pleasure and his eyes rolled back into his head as the other boy mauled his neck. Everything was so burning hot and the pleasure of having his cock touched intensified and then there were teeth nipping him and there was no stopping it.

Yuki had to brace a hand against Kyou's hip as his body tried to lift off the bed. The cat made the most wonderful noises and then a sizable amount of warm come was pumped up and over the rat's hand. He kept stroking until the cat was completely spent. With one final lick to the other boy's neck, he pulled back to survey his handiwork. Thick white come coated his hand, already cooling. Curiosity rose in him and he raised his fingers to his lips.

"Gross!"

Yuki looked up to find crimson eyes staring at him from the shelter of the cat's forearm. Kyou wore a petulant frown, lips turned down at the corners. The rat quirked a little smile before his tongue snaked out to lap up some of the come. He was amused when the orange-haired boy's mouth dropped open accompanied by a look of disgust.

The cat lowered his arm to hide his eyes again, his cheeks hot, but the mental image of his ejaculate on Yuki's pink tongue was burned into his mind. Just when he thought his shame couldn't get any worse, the rat said, "It's not that bad." What kind of remark was that? What could the cat say to something like that! Kisses were brushed over the inside of one of his thighs while he lay there mortified. "Kyou? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he muttered. He stole another peek, thankful that Yuki didn't catch him looking this time; he didn't know if he could look the other boy in the eye yet. "And..."

Yuki cocked a brow as the cat mumbled something unintelligible. He leaned back over his lover's body. "I didn't hear that last part," he said softly.

"I said I forgive you for earlier," the cat said gruffly.

"I'm glad," Yuki said warmly. He nuzzled his cheek against the orange-haired boy's chest, breathing in his scent. "Can I sleep here tonight?" He smiled to see the pink rise in the other boy's cheeks.

Kyou finally flung his arm aside from his face but stayed staring upward. His cheeks darkened further before he managed to hoarsely say, "That's fine. But don't expect me to kiss you until you brush your teeth. And don't expect any of that girly cuddling shit!" Yuki's answering laugh was husky and low and the cat felt like his sex would have stirred again if it hadn't just been spent. Kyou bristled at his own flustered thoughts and hurled a pillow at the self-satisfied rat. "Just go brush your teeth, damn it!"

A while later, after Yuki had done as the cat commanded and they lay together in the irascible teen's bed stripped down to their boxers, Kyou stared pensively at the ceiling. He glanced over at the other boy, who was only a mere inch away. The grey-haired boy's breathing was already going soft and heavy with sleep, his face serene. The cat thought the rat looked...cute. He grunted in disgust at the thought and returned his eyes to the ceiling, staring hard enough to put holes through it, but little by little his gaze kept betraying him as it traveled back to the other teen.

He did wonder, though... How would it feel to have his lover held against him? The thought, which he considered overly feminine, disgruntled him. But...

It couldn't hurt. Just this one time.

With a sigh, Kyou gave in to his urges and rolled onto his side, gathering the grey-haired boy to him, body elating in soft, smooth pale skin against his own. Finally, he closed his eyes and fell into contented sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Title: Million Little Pieces

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations.

The Gist of Things: The morning after and there's a rat in the cat's bed.

A/N: Woo update! I abandoned cleaning the house like I should have been doing because we're hosting a D&D game tomorrow (neeeeeerds~!). And I even resisted the allure of a new "My Little Pony" episode!

* * *

Kyou grudgingly woke up at his body's natural urging. His mind was fuzzy and he rebelled at the thought of having to get up when he was so warm, but a niggling part at the back of his mind knew he had to start getting ready for school. He gave a grumpy grumble and tried to roll over only to realize there was a weight on his arm and it took his mind a moment to register what was trapping him.

Crimson eyes shot open. There, laying across his arm, was none other than the rat. The other boy was on his side facing the cat, deep in sleep. His lips were parted, breath coming softly, features lax. Memories of last night surfaced, memories of a hot mouth and cumming in the other boy's hand, and his face flushed with heat. Yuki really did look beautiful when he was so peaceful. Kyou shifted, free hand lifting to touch silky-looking grey hair and froze when an arm wrapped around him from behind. He stared down at the limb now draped over his waist, the hand resting dangerously low on his belly.

He held his breath, hardly daring to move. The skin of the trespassing limb was pale. For a moment he thought of Haru and snippets of the dozens of fantasies Kyou had had of him flitted through his mind, and yet somehow he knew it wasn't quite right.

Warm breath tickled his ear, sending shivers over his skin. "Mm, Kyoukichi, sleeping with you is always a joy. You always manage to be so _hot_." The pale hand rubbed over his stomach.

The cat shrieked. Kyou flailed as he tried to extricate himself from his bed. The rat grunted as a tan limb hit him. Once he was free and on his feet, the cat whirled to confront the intruder. "Ayame! What the _fuck_!"

"Mou, Kyoukichi, so loud!" the snake complained with a pout. "That's not very cute. Come lay back down with us." Ayame drew little swirls over the vacant space Kyou had previously occupied with his long nails.

"_No!_" the cat blurted out. His skin was crawling at the thought of that pale hand on him.

The older man sat up, obviously sulking; the edge of his red silk robe was slipping from one shoulder. Kyou felt a rush of relief that the snake had not been naked like so many times before. "Is it so wrong to want to cuddle with my young cousin and my darling, beloved brother?"

Yuki's eyes shot open as he finally registered the other voice. Kyou had never seen him wake up so fast. "Ayame," the rat said coldly. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, my! Well, baby brother, Hari and I decided to drop by for a visit and I just felt such a chill! The weather really has been so _awful_ lately. But then 'Gure invited me to just come up here and snuggle with Kyou to keep warm. He was so very generous about it and it always seems to put a spring in Kyoukichi's step in the morning! And imagine my most _thrilling_ surprise to see none other than my absolutely _adorable_ little brother up here with our little Kyonkyon! And, _oh_, I was so overcome with joy that you two seem to be getting along now, and what better way to celebrate than a little three-way cuddle?"

Kyou clenched and unclenched his fists while listening to the bubbly dialogue. At first his heart had beat fast in terror; he thought there was no way that Ayame hadn't deduced what had been going on between himself and the rat, but as the snake continued to blather on he realized that the older man seemed to really be that oblivious. Before relief could fully settle in, though, Ayame opened his mouth again.

"By the way, Kyoukichi, you've definitely _grown_ since last I saw you. I must say, you are _quite_ the _well-formed_ youth now." Golden eyes stared at him, or rather at what was between his legs, with unwavering intensity.

"Ayame!" Yuki snapped.

It was only then that the cat realized he was naked; the snake smirked at his discomfiture, pale lips quirked upward. Kyou felt like he might vomit knowing the white-haired man was staring at his junk.

Kyou snatched a pair of boxers from the floor, cupping his manhood from view as he shimmied them on. How had he ended up being in the nude? He distinctly remembered both he and his lover going to sleep with their boxers on. He was so distracted by the question that only when they were on did he realize they were too tight because they were Yuki's. His eyes shot to the rat, who was looking very guilty. Violet eyes met his gaze and the other boy had the decency to blush at what his errant hands had done without permission in the night. Kyou shifted uncomfortably; the boxers were extremely tight, but he'd be damned if he was going to get naked again!

"I must confess, though," the snake said, interruping their silent stares, "I am rather disappointed that you will cuddle _au naturale_ with my little brother but not me." Ayame pouted again.

Kyou growled and cracked his knuckles, advancing on the snake, murderous intent blazing in his crimson eyes. Golden eyes widened at that look and pale, well-manicured hands clutched at his younger sibling.

Yuki sighed. "Leave him be, Kyou." He shook the other man free. "He's a harmless idiot," he added scathingly. And he was glad that his brother was an imbecile because neither of them wanted another member of the family to know about their relationship.

Kyou hesitated, glancing between the two, then gave a snarl of disgust that the rat would bother to protect his useless brother.

But just because Ayame was off limits didn't mean there wasn't someone else he could pound into oblivion. Completely forgetting that he was only clad in a pair of overly tight boxers, he tromped downstairs, fueled by anger.

Shigure looked up from his seat at the table at the sound of heavy footfalls coming down the steps. Hatori was seated next to him. The dog smiled. "Ah, Kyou-kun, you're awa—"

"Shigure!" the teenager bellowed, making the man wince.

"Awake and with a healthy set of lungs," Shigure finished.

The cat lifted a foot and kicked the dining table with a snarl; it screeched across the floor and hit the dog, knocking the breath from him. Hatori had the foresight to lift his coffee mug from the table to keep it from spilling. "You sent that freaking fruit into my room!"

"My poor cousin was cold and how could I deny him the best way to get warm?" The dog pouted as he rubbed his torso, which he was sure would bruise. "Why are you so angry, Kyou-kun? Did Aaya interrupt something _lewd_?" he asked slyly.

Kyou growled and launched himself at the dog. Shigure yelped at the sudden attack, immediately regretting his quick mouth as the enraged cat throttled him. "Stupid, perverted mutt! You're such a goddamn nuisance! I'm going to kick the shit out of you!"

"Kyou." Hatori's calm voice cut through the cat's tirade and Shigure gasped as the hands around his throat eased up.

"_What!_" Kyou hissed in fury, but he settled a bit at the stern look on the doctor's face.

"Haru told me you've taken one of my books. I want it returned."

Kyou frowned, crimson eyes clashing with hazel. "It's in Shigure's study." The cat let go of his victim and stood. "I read it and I know about where you got Black and White Haru from."

The dragon remained silent as he stared up at the cat, one brow crooked. He took a sip of coffee.

The orange-haired boy glowered at the lock of reaction. "His borderline personality disorder. I read all about it. Don't you think it would have helped Haru to put a name to his condition? He's trying really hard to change but he needs support. When the hell are you going to do anything about all this shit?"

Hatori listened to the tirade without a change of expression. When the cat paused, the dragon said, "Haru does not have borderline personality disorder."

Kyou blinked. "What?" When the man didn't answer, he bristled. "What about his quick mood changes and the...'splitting' or whatever? It even says 'black and white' in the description!"

The doctor chose not to answer the questions. "Just because you read it in a book doesn't make it true. Kyou." His gaze was direct, mouth a thin line. "I didn't come here specifically for my book. I came here to tell you, don't break Haru's heart."

The cat's mouth worked for a moment but no sound came out. "H-How do you..."

"Haru has been my ward for many years. I know when he's heartsick." Kyou stared at him, looking so bewildered and young. The dragon set his cup down on the table. "Now go get ready for school. Yuki's boxers don't fit you well."

The teenager blushed and stammered then scowled at his injured pride. With one more baleful stare at the still-prone dog he retreated upstairs. When they were alone again Shigure whined, "Hari, why would you let Kyou-kun beat up on me like that?"

"Because 'Gure," the dragon replied, staring into his coffee cup, "sometimes you benefit from taking a good beating." He took another sip.

–

Kyou flew up the steps to the roof. He needed some space; he had been having a hard time looking at Yuki without remembering intense hazel eyes piercing straight at him. Hatori's words echo through his mind.

_"...don't break Haru's heart."_

It wasn't like he _wanted_ to hurt the ox. If anything, Haru had hurt him first! Things had gone way too far that day and their relationship would never be the same, even if Kyou didn't choose him. The door handle was cold beneath his hand and then he was walking out into the crisp spring air; the day was overcast with dark grey-blue clouds hanging low and heavy in the sky. He didn't want to hurt either Haru or Yuki, but he was going to stay true to his feelings.

His eyes widened at the sight of the boy that was currently occupying his thoughts standing at the railing. "Haru."

The black and white-haired boy didn't turn, but the cat saw his hands tighten on the metal rail. "Kyou." The cat stood for a moment, unsure what to do. The ox was staring out into the distance. The orange-haired boy shifted his weight before walking to stand next to the taller boy; Hatsuharu didn't even glance toward him. Kyou watched the ox out of the corner of his eye.

He had to break the intolerable silence. "Umm...I saw Hatori this morning. He said you were...out of sorts lately." Still no reaction; he changed topics. "Are you going to come over tonight for more training?"

Hatsuharu was quiet for some time and Kyou was grasping for something else to say when the ox spoke. "Is there any hope for me?"

The cat frowned at the quiet question. "We just started. It's going to take some time to correct the problem."

Pale hands flexed, making leather fingerless gloves creak. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what—" The ox finally looked at him, eyes so dark they were almost black. Kyou stilled, hardly daring to breathe. Haru must have learned a look like that from Hatori.

"I can _smell_ him on you." Hatsuharu's voice was almost a growl but not quite. Kyou trembled, unsure what to say in the face of such intense emotion. The ox looked away again, head bowed. "I think about what I did to you all the time, and I worry that I ruined what we could have had before it could start."

The cat felt his trembling worsen. "I..." He swallowed past the constriction in his throat. "I think about it a lot too." The ox tensed further. It was true; the incident had haunted his thoughts just as it had Haru's. It had come between them, but he had forgiven the big, stupid cow.

He paused, assessing the thought; it was so sudden that it took him aback. Kyou mulled it over for a moment and his heart beat faster when he realized the truth of it. He really had forgiven Haru, maybe even in the week that he and Haru had had sex. He blushed at the memory. A tan hand reached out to cover a pale one. "I forgave you, Haru. I was mad and I hated you for a little while, but I avoided you because you stirred up feelings in me that I didn't know how to deal with. I already liked Yuki and then—" He cut himself off, wondering if he had messed it up by mentioning the other boy. "I'm just...confused," he finished lamely.

Hatsuharu shifted. "You don't have to tell me what I want to hear, Kyou," he said softly.

Kyou scowled. "Stop being an idiot!" he snapped. "I'm trying to tell you something important and you're just doing a bunch of self-pity crap!"

The ox snorted a little laugh. "I know you're being honest when you start insulting me." Even though he was trying to be cheerful about it, the lines of his body indicated he was still depressed.

"I really do forgive you, idiot. And..." He bit his lip. "It wasn't a good thing to do, but...it kind of felt good." Kyou blushed as he said it and his heart flip-flopped at Hatsuharu's stunned look.

"What?"

"Sometimes I, um... Sometimes I think about trying it again." The cat felt his body flush with heat at the statement. "Not like last time, obviously! Sometimes I just think about what it would feel like and I...I get hard..."

Hatsuharu felt like he would fly apart at the seams; his mind whirled with this new information. It was all so overwhelming. "Can I kiss you?" It sounded more like a demand than a question. He hoped he wasn't misreading what he thought was eagerness as the cat gave his assent. He caught the shorter boy's face between his hands, heart feeling like it would beat out of his chest, and brought their lips together. The cat surprised him with his enthusiasm. Their lips moved against each other softly as the savoured the feel of one another.

Kyou's hands lifted to cover Hatsuharu's, hot on cold. He tilted his head further, lips parting so slightly in invitation. The ox moaned raggedly and the cat could feel his body taut and thrumming with excitement. The younger boy's tongue ran over the swollen split in the cat's lip before stealing into Kyou's mouth, smooth and wet, and Kyou's own tongue met it, rubbing gently. The ox tasted mostly of spearmint, fresh and clean. Kyou arched, breathing faster as he brought the front of his body into contact with the younger boy's.

Hatsuharu gasped and pulled back, breaking all connection between them. Kyou stared at him, confused and worried. "Haru, what..."

"I'm sorry." The ox tried to slow the rhythm of his heart. "I don't... I don't want to get carried away and..." He let the fear-filled thought hang in the air. Knowing Kyou might want _that_ from him again made the terrible desire a thousand times worse.

"Okay." The cat tried to gather himself, thoughts scattered. "It's okay," he repeated. The warning bell rang, startling him; it echoed across the school courtyard below. "We should go to class," he said softly.

"I haven't been all day," Hatsuharu confessed.

They stared at each other, neither making a move. "I want to do that again too," Kyou rasped, licking the other boy's saliva from his lips.

Hatsuharu's left hand reached out and grasped the railing as if he were trying to hold on for dear life. He was getting stiff, half-hard erection pressing against his clothes. "You should go now if you don't want to be late," he warned, voice hoarse.

"Will you come over tonight?"

The ox tried to stay focused and not be distracted by wet, red lips. "Not today. I just need some time."

Kyou nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. "Yeah. Tomorrow then?"

Hatsuharu nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Every part of him cried out at him to grab Kyou and pull him against his body and _take_, but he restrained himself, watching the cat walk away and disappear down the stairs. He stared out into the distance, more hopeful than before.


End file.
